Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022

On 24 February 2022, Russian forces attacked Ukraine from several directions, including from Belarus and from Russian territory, and struck targets across the country. President Vladimir Putin had announced a "special military operation" hours earlier. It escalated a conflict that began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Governments in Europe and North America responded with wide-ranging sanctions on Russian banks, companies and officials. The invasion also reached the world of sport. International federations and event organisers moved to bar or restrict Russian teams and athletes, and the debate over how to treat individual Russian players followed.

That debate was sharpest for those publicly close to Putin. Alex Ovechkin, the Russian captain of the NHL's Washington Capitals, had long shown support for the president, including a Putin photo on his social media. After the invasion, critics in North America called on him to speak out. Ovechkin said he wanted peace, but he did not criticise Putin directly. His case has remained a focus for Ukrainian communities abroad.