4 August. The beginning of the russian-Ukrainian war in 2014

The history of modern Ukraine is inseparably linked to the events of 2014. That year, russia launched its armed aggression against Ukraine: it occupied the Crimean Peninsula and began military operations in the east of the country. These events fundamentally changed the security situation in Eastern Europe.

For Ukraine, 2014 marked the beginning of a prolonged struggle for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The modern Russo-Ukrainian war has continued since that time, when russia first directly deployed its armed forces against independent Ukraine, flagrantly violating the country’s borders and the principles of the international order established after 1945.

The large-scale invasion by russian forces in August 2014 unfolded along several axes: through the border areas of Luhansk Oblast; near Ilovaisk, a city located 45 kilometres from the russian border; and in the south, near Mariupol, a coastal city approximately 55 kilometres from the border with russia.

However, Ukraine’s Defence Forces had been resisting armed attempts to seize Ukrainian territory since the spring of that year. On 9 May 2014, decisive actions by a unit commanded by Major Mykhailo Drapatyi helped break the blockade of the Mariupol City Police Department. In August of the same year, he successfully organised the withdrawal of Ukrainian servicemen from encirclement in the border sector of Luhansk Oblast, saving hundreds of lives. At the time, Mykhailo Drapatyi commanded a battalion of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On 22 July 2026, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, succeeding Oleksandr Syrskyi. The personnel decision was made amid disagreements within the military leadership and following the dismissal of Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov, which prompted mass demonstrations in his support across various Ukrainian cities. Official statement by the President of Ukraine, Suspilne’s report on the demonstrations.

August 2014 holds a special place in Ukraine’s military and political history, as it became one of the most difficult trials for the entire country. It was during this period that the battles for Ilovaisk began. The city is located in Donetsk Oblast, approximately 40 kilometres east of Donetsk and 45 kilometres from the border with russia.

The first armed clashes for Ilovaisk took place on 4 August 2014. The city was strategically important as a major railway junction, control of which made it possible to disrupt the enemy’s supply routes.

The events that unfolded around Ilovaisk in August 2014 became one of the most dramatic chapters in Ukraine’s struggle for independence. They remain engraved in history as a symbol of unbreakable courage, profound tragedy and painful lessons that forever changed the Ukrainian military.

The detailed chronology of the August battles for Ilovaisk will be presented in the following publications in this series.