After the February 2014 Euromaidan uprising, which brought an end to the Viktor Yanukovych government, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Crimea with the support of locals who felt isolated from the new government in Kiev. The Ukraine army and related militias entered Eastern Ukraine where separatist movements, supported by Russia, were taking root. The summer brought an all out war between separatists and the central government with 50% of civilians fleeing their homes in many areas. By August, the Ukrainian Army was forced out of the main cities. Ceasefires failed and shelling between factions continued with 4,700 persons killed by the end of the year. The conflict has provoked the worst crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

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