Almost immediately following the end of the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine in February 2014, Russia swiftly moved to annex and occupy the Crimean Peninsula. Within a couple of months, unrest erupted in eastern Ukraine followed by Russian-backed militias taking over administrative buildings. The events mark the start of Russia's 10-year invasion and occupation of Ukraine that continues to this day.
Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko (alias Redis), Commander of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, made a speech by videolink to delegates at the EstMil.tech 2024 military conference in Tallinn, Estonia, on 25 January.