2021 in Ukraine explained
Events in the year 2021 in Ukraine.
Incumbents
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Denys Shmyhal
Events
Ongoing – COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War (War in Donbas)
January
February
March
- 1 March – The country reports multiple ceasefire violations in the Donbas region, with one casualty.[10]
- 2 March – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy receives his first dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine.[11]
- 4 March – The country reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom in two people from Ivano-Frankivsk.[12]
- 9 March – The country grants approval for the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine.[13]
- 18 March – Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announces a three-week lockdown in the city beginning on March 20 which will close all cultural institutions and many non-essential shopping and entertainment malls due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.[14]
- 31 March – Russian President Vladimir Putin accuses the country of "provoking armed confrontation" with pro-Russian separatists in the war-torn eastern portion of the country. Putin also said that Ukraine failed to comply with the July 2020 ceasefire of the conflict, which has killed over 14,000 people since it broke out in 2014.[15]
April
- 6 April
- The country signs a deal with Pfizer to supply 10 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine.[16]
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on NATO to hasten the country's accession to the military alliance in response to a growing build-up of Russian troops and military hardware on its borders, and to help bring an end to the ongoing conflict in the Donbas with pro-Russian separatists.[17]
- 7 April
- Russia warns that having the country join NATO "would exacerbate the Donbas conflict" after Ukraine urged NATO to "speed up" its membership application.[18]
- The Verkhovna Rada votes to legalize the use of medical cannabis products.[19]
- 9 April – Russia deploys more troops to the Russia–Ukraine border as tensions escalate between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.[20]
- 11 April – A Ukrainian soldier is killed and another is seriously wounded by Russian separatist forces artillery fire on the front line in Eastern Ukraine, bringing the total number of troops killed in combat this year to 27.[21]
- 12 April – The country triggers Article 15 of the Charter on a Special Partnership, initiating an emergency meeting with NATO to discuss the Russian escalation in Donbas and the build-up of Russian forces on its border. The article was last triggered in 2018 during the Kerch Strait incident.[22]
- 15 April – The country protests an alleged announcement by Russia that, beginning next week, it would be closing the Kerch Strait to foreign warships and state ships until October.[23]
- 16 April – The country receives 117,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative.[24]
- 21 April – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invites his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to a face-to-face meeting on the front line in the war-torn Donbas to negotiate an end to the conflict.[25]
- 22 April – The Russian Defense Ministry announces that it will move its forces away from the Ukrainian border beginning tomorrow. The country and its western allies accused Russia of trying to provoke conflict by moving troops to the border, while Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu claimed that it was only to conduct drills.[26]
- 23 April – A United Nations aid convoy brings 23 tons of humanitarian aid to the region around Donetsk, passing the contact line into separatist-controlled territory at the Novotroitske crossing point.[27]
June
- 23 June – The country reports its first two cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a woman and a teenager who travelled from Russia.[28]
- 28 June – The country and NATO forces launch joint naval drills in the Black Sea codenamed Sea Breeze 2021. Russia has condemned the drills, with the Russian Defence Ministry saying that they would closely monitor the drills.[29]
July
- 2 July – Belarus closes its border with the country after President Alexander Lukashenko claims that arms are being smuggled into the country in an attempt by "outside powers" to overthrow his regime, saying that "They have crossed the line. We cannot forgive them". Ukraine denies Lukashenko's claims, and says that closing the border would make its people "suffer".[30]
- 5 July – The country authorizes the usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.[31]
- 9 July – The Ministry of Defence accuses Russia of hacking the website of the Naval Forces to publish fake news and upload false documents regarding naval drills between Ukraine, NATO, and most Black Sea nations.[32]
- 19 July – The President, in a joint statement with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, announced the countries' intentions to pursue closer relations with the European Union, effectively rebuking Russia.[33]
August
- 4 August – The country received 509,400 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by Denmark.[34]
- 15 August – Konstantin Pavlov, the pro-Russian mayor of Kryvyi Rih, is found dead at his home with a gunshot wound. The National Police say that they are currently establishing the circumstances of the mayor's death and have also opened a criminal case.[35]
- 26 August – A mass grave containing between 5,000 and 8,000 skeletons is discovered in Kyiv, during exploration works for a planned expansion of Odesa International Airport. The graves are believed to date back to the late 1930s during a major purge.[36]
September
- 17 September – The country and the United States announce that they will begin joint military exercises involving 15 other countries in western Ukraine next week.[37]
- 23 September – A law passed ordering oligarchs to stay out of politics, a day after the failed assassination attempt to kill an aide of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which officials said could have been a response to the reform.[38]
- 27 September – Hungary and Russia sign a natural gas supply deal which will see Gazprom supply Hungary with 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually via Serbia and Austria for the next 15 years. The gas pact is criticized by the country, which argues that it is a "purely political, economically unreasonable decision". In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accuses Ukraine of "meddling" in its internal affairs.[39]
October
November
- 1 November – Kyiv begins to require vaccine certificates or negative test results in order to enter restaurants, cafés, gyms, entertainment facilities and shopping malls as well as to use public transportation in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.[46]
- 4 November – The country surpasses three million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 27,377 new cases in the past 24 hours.[47]
- 7 November – The country receives 2,930,300 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine distributed through the COVAX initiative.[48]
- 8 November – The country's oldest English language newspaper the Kyiv Post suspends publication after 26 years in print following a dispute between its owner and journalists. All of the newspaper's journalists have been fired with immediate effect.[49]
- 11 November – The country deploys a further 8,500 soldiers and police officers, as well as 15 helicopters, to the border with Belarus to prevent possible attempts by stranded migrants to cross into the country in order to reach the European Union.[50]
- 16 November
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson states that the west will have to choose between reliance on Russian gas and supporting Ukraine amid reported buildups of the Russian military near the border with the country.[51]
- Researchers at the American cybersecurity firm Mandiant report that the Belarusian government has ties to the hacker group Ghostwriter, which was accused of targeting various German politicians and ministries in September and has since been accused of launching misinformation campaigns against multiple countries, including Ukraine.[52]
- 18 November – Belarus suspends electricity supplies to the country, in "accordance with the established procedure for interaction within the framework of contractual relations", according to a statement from the Belarusian Ministry of Energy.[53]
- 23 November – The country warns of "combat preparedness" of separatist forces in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military presence on the border increases, warning of a potential new conflict. The separatists began mobilization of reservists yesterday.[54]
- 24 November
- 26 November – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Russia of plotting a coup against him and says that Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov was being enlisted to help plan the coup. Zelenskyy says that his country "is prepared for any scenario" as tensions rise.[57] [58] [59]
- 29 November – Turkey offers to mediate between Ukraine and Russia over the crisis between the two nations.[60]
December
- 7 December – Thirteen people are killed in a collision between a minibus and a truck in Chernihiv Oblast.[61]
- 8 December – U.S. President Joe Biden announces that American troops will not be unilaterally deployed to the country in order to deter a potential Russian invasion, saying that the option "was not on the table".[62]
- 13 December – One-hundred and six members of a Ukrainian "neo-Nazi" youth group are arrested in Russia, suspected of planning attacks, including mass murders. Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence of financially funding the group. Ukraine alleges that the arrests and subsequent Russian media reporting are staged as part of Russian intelligence measures.[63]
- 17 December – Russia demands that NATO never admit the country as a member of the military alliance, among other measures, saying that they want a legally binding guarantee to end further eastward expansion. Other demands include a Russian veto on Ukrainian membership in NATO, the removal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe, and the withdrawal of multinational NATO battalions from Poland and the Baltics.[64]
- 18 December
- 20 December
- 24 December
- Russian president Vladimir Putin demands that NATO guarantee that it will not move its forces into the country, accusing NATO and the U.S. of "trying to send Ukraine and Russia into direct armed conflict."[70]
- A group called Free City of Odesa claimed responsibility for burning down several vehicles belonging to the country's Armed Forces.[71]
- 29 December – Three people are killed and four others are injured in a fire at a candlelit vigil in Kosiv.[72]
Deaths
Notes and References
- Web site: UAWire - Moldovan President arrives in Ukraine on her first foreign visit . 2022-03-18 . uawire.org.
- Web site: Ukraine, Moldova willing to join Three Seas Initiative . 2022-03-18 . www.ukrinform.net . 12 January 2021 . en.
- News: 2021-01-21 . Ukraine fire: Fifteen dead as blaze guts home for elderly . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-18.
- News: 2021-01-25 . Ukraine completes tough COVID lockdown with optimistic expectations . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: На Украине снесли последний памятник Владимиру Ленину . 2022-03-18 . Радио Свобода . 27 January 2021 . ru.
- News: 2021-01-29 . Ukraine bans use of Russian COVID-19 vaccines . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: Delivery plans for 12 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ukraine confirmed . 2022-03-18 . www.unian.info . en.
- News: Ukraine Takes First Delivery of AstraZeneca Vaccine For COVID-19 . 2022-03-18 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 23 February 2021 . en.
- Web site: Donbas war update: Ukraine records 10 ceasefire violations on Feb 25 . 2022-03-18 . www.unian.info . en.
- Web site: Donbas war update: Ukraine reports one KIA on Feb 28 . 2022-03-18 . www.unian.info . en.
- Web site: Ukraine's leader gets vaccine shot to dispel public doubts . 2022-03-18 . ABC News . en.
- Web site: COVID-19: Two cases of UK strain officially confirmed in Ukraine . 2022-03-18 . covid.unian.info . en.
- News: 2021-03-09 . Ukraine approves China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: Kyiv introduces strict quarantine restrictions from March 20 – Klitschko . 2022-03-18 . www.ukrinform.net . 18 March 2021 . en.
- Web site: Putin accuses Ukraine of provoking clashes with pro-Russian separatists amid tensions . 2022-03-18 . news.yahoo.com . 31 March 2021 . en-US.
- Web site: Ukraine signs deal with Pfizer for supply of 10 mln vaccine doses . 2022-03-18 . covid.unian.info . en.
- Web site: 2021-04-06 . Ukraine urges Nato to hasten membership as Russian troops gather . 2022-03-18 . the Guardian . en.
- Web site: 'We deeply doubt it will help' Kremlin warns that Ukraine joining NATO would exacerbate Donbas conflict . 2022-03-18 . Meduza . en.
- News: Поперечна . Дарія . 9 April 2021 . В Україні легалізували використання медичного канабісу, але не всього . Ukrainian . УП.Життя .
- News: Kramer . Andrew E. . 2021-04-09 . Russian Troop Movements and Talk of Intervention Cause Jitters in Ukraine . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-03-18 . 0362-4331.
- Web site: 2021-04-20 . Ukraine says 1 soldier killed in east as tensions rise . 2022-03-18 . AP NEWS . en.
- Web site: 2021-04-12 . Ukraine Initiates April 13 Emergency Meeting Of NATO Commission To Discuss Russia's Escalation Of Security Situation . 2022-03-18 . ukranews_com . en.
- Web site: МИД Украины протестует в связи с ограничением РФ свободы судоходства в Черном море . 2022-03-18 . Интерфакс-Украина . 15 April 2021 . ru.
- Web site: First COVID-19 vaccines shipped by COVAX arrive in Ukraine . 2022-03-18 . www.unicef.org . en.
- Web site: AFP . French Press Agency- . 2021-04-21 . Ukraine's Zelenskiy invites Putin to meet on front line . 2022-03-18 . Daily Sabah . en-US.
- Web site: Russia to pull back troops from Ukraine border . 2022-03-18 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
- Web site: 2021-04-23 . UN-led aid convoy brings 23 tonnes of humanitarian goods across contact line in east Ukraine . 2021-05-25 . UN News . en.
- Web site: 2021-06-23 . Delta, most dangerous coronavirus variant yet, detected in Ukraine - KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice . 2022-03-18 . KyivPost.
- Web site: 2021-06-28 . Ukraine, NATO launch joint Black Sea drills . 2022-03-18 . AP NEWS . en.
- News: 2021-07-02 . Belarus closes border to Ukraine over coup claim . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: 2021-07-05 . Reuters: Ukraine approves Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine - KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice . 2022-03-18 . KyivPost.
- News: Ukraine Blames Russian Hackers For Attack On Navy Website . 2022-03-18 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 10 July 2021 . en.
- Web site: 2021-07-19 . Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine see joint path to EU . 2022-03-18 . POLITICO . en-US.
- Web site: More than 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine provided by Denmark arrive in Ukraine . 2022-03-18 . www.ukrinform.net . 4 August 2021 . en.
- News: 2021-08-15 . Opposition mayor of Ukrainian city found dead . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: 2021-08-26 . Stalin-era mass grave found in Ukraine . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: Ukraine, US to Hold Joint Military Drills . 2022-03-18 . VOA . 16 September 2021 . en.
- News: Polityuk . Pavel . Zinets . Natalia . 2021-09-23 . Ukrainian lawmakers pass law on oligarchs after assassination attempt . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: Komuves . Anita . Than . Krisztina . 2021-09-27 . Hungary accuses Ukraine of meddling as it signs Russia gas pact . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: 2021-10-07 . Speaker Razumkov dismissed with 284 votes after disputes with Zelensky - Oct. 07, 2021 . 2022-03-18 . KyivPost.
- Web site: Welle (www.dw.com) . Deutsche . EU chief vows to help Ukraine with gas supply DW 12.10.2021 . 2022-03-18 . DW.COM . en-GB.
- Web site: Presse . AFP-Agence France . Ukraine Posts Record Covid Deaths And Cases For Second Day . 2022-03-18 . www.barrons.com . en-US.
- Web site: Times . The Moscow . 2021-10-27 . Ukraine Destroys Pro-Russian Artillery in Its First Use of Turkish Drones . 2022-03-18 . The Moscow Times . en.
- News: 2021-10-27 . Kremlin says Turkish drones risk destabilising situation in east Ukraine . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: Ukrainian forces seize village of Staromaryevka — Donetsk Republic. 2022-03-18. tass.com. 2021-10-27.
- News: 2021-11-01 . New COVID-19 restrictions in force in Ukraine's capital amid spike in cases . en . Reuters . 2022-03-17.
- Web site: COVID in Ukraine: Daily cases hit 27,377 as of Nov 4 . 2022-03-17 . www.ukrinform.net . 4 November 2021 . en.
- Web site: UNICEF delivers close to 3 million doses of Moderna vaccine to Ukraine under COVAX . 2022-03-18 . www.unicef.org . en.
- Web site: Kyiv . AFP in . 2021-11-08 . Ukrainian English-language newspaper Kyiv Post suspends publication . 2022-03-18 . the Guardian . en.
- Web site: Ukraine to Deploy Troops, Helicopters to Guard Belarus Border . 2022-03-18 . VOA . 11 November 2021 . en.
- Web site: 2021-11-15 . West must choose between Russian gas and supporting Ukraine, PM warns . 2022-03-18 . the Guardian . en.
- Web site: Report implicates Belarus in anti-NATO cyber campaign . 2022-03-18 . ABC News . en.
- Web site: 2021-11-17 . Belarus To Stop Supplying Electricity To Ukraine On November 18 . 2022-03-18 . ukranews_com . en.
- News: Zinets . Natalia . 2021-11-23 . Russian-controlled forces in Donbass raise combat readiness - Ukraine . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: Maclellan . Kylie . 2021-11-24 . EXCLUSIVE Britain says Russian attack on Ukraine would be a 'grave mistake' . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: Biden Vows 'Unwavering Support' For Ukraine Amid Heightened Tensions With Russia . 2022-03-18 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 24 November 2021 . en.
- News: Zinets . Natalia . Polityuk . Pavel . 2021-11-26 . Zelenskiy says Ukraine uncovers coup plot involving Russians; Kremlin denies role . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- Web site: Ukraine president says coup plot thwarted involving Russians . 2022-03-18 . NBC News . 10 December 2021 . en.
- News: 2021-11-26 . Ukraine-Russia conflict: Zelensky alleges coup plan involving Russians . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-18.
- News: 2021-11-29 . Erdogan says Turkey ready to mediate between Ukraine and Russia -NTV . en . Reuters . 2022-03-18.
- News: Thirteen Dead In Ukraine After Minibus, Truck Collide . 2022-03-17 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 7 December 2021 . en.
- News: Mason . Jeff . Soldatkin . Vladimir . 2021-12-09 . Biden says U.S. will not put troops in Ukraine, as tensions with Russia ease . en . Reuters . 2022-03-17.
- News: Zinets . Natalia . 2021-12-13 . Ukraine accuses Russia of information warfare after 'neo-Nazi' arrests . en . Reuters . 2022-03-17.
- News: Tétrault-Farber . Gabrielle . Balmforth . Tom . 2021-12-17 . Russia demands NATO roll back from East Europe and stay out of Ukraine . en . Reuters . 2022-03-17.
- News: Ukraine reports its first case of Omicron coronavirus variant. 2022-03-17 . The Times of India . 18 December 2021 . en.
- Web site: Berman . Lazar . Ukraine envoy: Kyiv could recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital soon . 2022-03-17 . www.timesofisrael.com . en-US.
- Web site: Welle (www.dw.com) . Deutsche . Порошенко покинул Украину перед вызовом на допрос DW 18.12.2021 . 2022-03-17 . DW.COM . ru-RU.
- News: Polish, Lithuanian Leaders Back Kyiv And Call For No 'Concessions' To Russia . 2022-03-17 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 21 December 2021 . en.
- Web site: Trevithick . Joseph . Pentagon Team Has Returned From Assessing Ukraine's Air Defense Needs . 2022-03-17 . The Drive . 21 December 2021 . en.
- Web site: 'We don't want conflict, but we need assurance,' Putin tells Nato . 2022-03-17 . independent . 24 December 2021 . en.
- 1474433971094228997. war_noir.
- Ukraine : A group called "Free City of #Odessa" claimed responsibility for burning down several command and staf…
. 24 December 2021.
- News: 2021-12-29 . Ukraine: Three die after memorial candle lit in hospital ward . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-17.
- Web site: В Одессе умер один из первых народных депутатов Украины . odessa-life.od.ua . 5 January 2021 . ru . 5 January 2021.
- Web site: Volodymyr Kyselov . olympedia.org . 8 January 2021.
- News: Помер Сергій Проскурня - режисер, який відкривав театральну Україну світу . BBC News Україна . uk . 6 February 2021.
- Encyclopedia: Savchenko. O. V.. Арсенич-Баран Ганна Василівна. Arsenych-Baran Hanna Vasylivna. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine. uk. 2021. 12 March 2022.
- News: Oliynyk. Halyna. Померла відома професорка-мовознавиця з Чернівців. A famous professor of linguistics from Chernivtsi died. . uk. 12 April 2021. 13 March 2022.
- News: Більше не з нами. No longer with us. . uk. 5 January 2022. 24 April 2023.