Two years ago today Russia shocked the world by invading its neighbour Ukraine in a large scale military operation not seen in Europe since the Second World War.
More than 100,000 Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders in the days leading up to the invasion on February 24, 2022.
Analysts made dire predictions that Moscow’s armies would sweep to victory in a matter of days, but Ukrainian forces have surprised the world and put up a heroic defence of their nation.
But it has cost many of them their lives. An estimated 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 10,000 civilians have died in the past two years.
However there are fears the war could be slipping away from Ukraine as it loses more territory and runs out of ammo as the world begins to focus on Israel-Gaza.
Along with the murder of thousands of people, the war has also completely destroyed entire towns, cities and landscapes in Ukraine.
As Russia’s brutal invasion marks its second anniversary, looks at the devastation the war has caused the country in the past 730 days in a series of extraordinary satellite photos.
Satellite photos released by Maxar Technologies show the eastern city of Petrivka, Donetsk Oblast, on August 24, 2022 (left), and then after heavy artillery shelling amid Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine on February 2023 (right)
Satellite photos released by Maxar Technologies show school no12 and apartments buildings in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, on May 8, 2022 (left) and on May 15, 2023 (right)
A western neighbourhood of the eastern city of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, on October 16, 2021 (left) prior to Russia’s military invasion on Ukraine and on February 17, 2024 (right) amid the war
The eastern city of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, on October 16, 2021 (left) prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and on February 17, 2024 (right), amid the invasion
The Makiivka school on November 1, 2022 (left) and after a strike on January 8, 2023 (right)
An overview of Black Sea fleet headquarters before an attack, in Sevastopol Bay, on September 20, 2023, (left) and after an attack, on September 23, 2023 (right)
A Ropucha landing ship, before an attack, at port of Feodosia on December 5, 2023 (left) and after it sunk following an attack, on December 26, 2023 (right)
An area of the southern city of Oleshky Kherson Oblast, on May 15, 2023 (left), and with flooding on June 7, 2023 (right), after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam, amid Russia’s military invasion on Ukraine
The southern city of Oleshky along the Dnipro river, Kherson Oblast, on May 15, 2023 (left), and with flooding on June 7, 2023, (right) after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam, amid Russia’s military invasion on Ukraine
The Nova Kakhovka dam, southern Kherson Oblast, on May 28, 2022 (left), and on June 16, 2023 (right) after its collapse
A school and apartment buildings in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, on May 8, 2022 (left) and on May 15, 2023 (right), amid Russia’s military invasion on Ukraine