Ukraine - The Border Land Invaded Quiz

Answer: 2014

The ousting of a pro-Russian government in early 2014 led to pro-Russian protests in eastern and southern Ukraine and Russia's annexation of the Crimea. As a result, February 2014 is considered to be the start of Russo-Ukrainian War. The military invasion of Ukraine took place on 24 February 2022.

Answer: Chelsea Football Club

Sanctions were imposed by many countries, including the United Kingdom, on notable Russian oligarchs and political leaders in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As a result of the UK sanctions, Abramovich was disqualified from being an owner by the English Premier League and sold the club in May 2022.

He had been owner of the Chelsea Football Club since June 2003.

Answer: President of Ukraine

His character, Vasily Petrovych Goloborodko, is a high school teacher who is filmed by one of his students complaining vigorously about corruption in Ukraine. The video goes viral and, after a crowd funding campaign, his students register him, without his knowledge, as a candidate for the Ukrainian presidential race. And of course this unlikely candidate wins the election!

Zelenskyy does have a law degree, but is better known for his work as a comedian.

Answer: Ukraine joined NATO

Ukraine has not as yet joined NATO, but did apply for membership on 30 September 2022. Vladimir Putin, Russia's President, has cited all of the other three as reasons to justify Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine. These arguments, it has been suggested, are to 'prove' there is a legitimacy or higher moral purpose for Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the benefit of the Russian population.

Answer: Independence Square

The spark for the protests was considered to be Ukraine's pro-Russian President Yanukovych choosing not to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union despite the Ukrainian parliament overwhelming approval of the agreement. Instead he was proposing to strengthen ties with Russia.

Answer: Chernobyl

Whilst all locations have been sites of nuclear accidents, only Chernobyl is located in Ukraine. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on 26 April 1986 when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. The radiation released as a result of the accident was more than 400 times that released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Answer: Ghost of Kyiv

At one stage it was reported that the Ghost of Kyiv was Major Stepan Tarabalka, who was killed in combat on 13 March 2022 and honoured with a Hero of Ukraine medal posthumously. Subsequently the Ukrainian Air Force Command said that the Ghost of Kyiv was a 'super-hero legend ... created by Ukrainians.'

Answer: Snake Island

This event took place on the first day of the invasion. Snake Island sits in the Black Sea, and was defended by 13 border guards against one Russian cruiser. At this early stage of the war it seemed to epitomise what was then assumed to be Russia's overwhelming military superiority.

Answer: No

Article 2(4) of the UN Charter requires UN member states to refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. In this context Russia's invasion is not considered legal. Putin has tried to push back by saying that the war is legal under article 51 which states that nothing in the present charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations.

As Ukraine did not attack or threaten to attack Russia the claim of self defense is not considered valid.

Answer: Belarus

Rumours quickly circulated that Putin had fled Moscow as the Wagner army approached in contrast to Zelenskyy, who apparently stayed in Kyiv despite the bombardments and stories of Russian assassination teams. The irony of the Wagner mutiny is that this private army would not have existed if the Russian constitution had not been changed under Putin to allow for the creation of private armies.