3. **Russian Intervention in Crimea and Donbas**: - Foll…

3. **Russian Intervention in Crimea and Donbas**:
- Following the political changes in Ukraine, Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 and supported separatist movements in the Donbas region. This was justified by Russia as a need to protect ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine, but these actions were widely condemned by the international community as illegal and a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty[2][4].