Ukraine

The 2014-2022 war between Ukraine and the two Russian backed provinces has resulted in how many casualties?

14,000

Where does Ukraine rank in size compared to other 20th Century European nations?

2nd largest

How many people died during the Crimean War which saw the UK, Turkey and France fighting Russia for control of this strategic peninsula?

3/4 million

The government in Kiev is predicting that up to how many people would be forced to flee Ukraine If the Kremlin gives the order for a Russian invasion?

5 million

What percentage of Russian export gas is routed through Ukraine?

50%

What percentage of Ukraine's population live in towns or cities?

69.8%

How many Ukrainians died during famines which were orchestrated by the USSR?

8 million

What are the two colors in Ukraine's flag?

Blue and Yellow

2014 the Russian's shoot down Malaysian airliner full of Dutch tourists over Donetsk using what weapon?

Buk Missile launcher

What Russian Empress pulled Ukraine into her empire?

Catherine the Great

What was the name of the Ukrainian nuclear reactor which shocked the world when it melted down in 1986.

Chernobyl

What were the name of the elite Russian cavalry troops of the Russian Empire?

Cossack

What was the name of the new Ukrainian state which rose in the mid-17th century?

Cossack Hetmanate

What strategic Ukrainian peninsula has been occupied by Russia since 2014?

Crimea

What Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula is critically important for Russia's navy?

Crimean peninsula

Until 2022, the Ukrainian military's primary concern was in what two regions?

Donetsk and Luhansk

A "referendum" was held for the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation which was condemned as illegitimate by what two international organizations?

EU and UN

Give four reasons why the US and our Allies would be "gun-shy."

Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria

In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with men, funding, and materiel driving an armed conflict with Ukrainian Govt. that continues. What are the names of the two secessionist provinces?

Kharkiv and Donetsk

What was the name of the first eastern Slavic state?

Kyivan Rus

Ukraine's climate falls mostly into the temperate continental zone. The exception is the Crimea which is in what climate zone?

Mediterranean

Ukraine possesses what three fossil fuel resources?

Oil, natural gas, coal

What was the name of the 2004 Revolution that overturned a rigged presidential election?

Orange Revolution

What papers were leaked which show how Russians got rich illegally because of connections to Putin?

Pandora papers

Ukraine was swallowed up as a part of what eastern European commonwealth?

Polish-Lithuanian

What five nations border Ukraine to the south and southwest?

Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Belarus, Moldova

Ukraine is slightly smaller than which American state?

Texas

Ukraine's rich black soil has given it what nickname?

The Breadbasket of Europe

What did the Ukrainian military do during the 2014 Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine?

They did nothing.

What two nations are currently sending shoulder fired anti aircraft and anti-tank missiles and ammunition to Ukraine?

US and UK

Ukraine declared independence from the USSR after what violent event?

Ukraine declared independence from the USSR after the failed hardliner Communist coup against Gorbachev and the break-up of the USSR.

How long was Ukraine independent before it was pulled into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?

Ukraine was independent from 1917 to 1920 before it was pulled into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Ukraine's military currents consists of around 209,000 active personnel and around 900,000 reservists, compare Ukraine's military with Russia's military.

Ukraine's military has 209,000 active personnel and 900,000 reservists vs. 900,000 and two million in Russia.

The PRC released a statement saying China's and Russia's foreign ministers had coordinated their positions on issues of common concern in what three countries?

Ukraine, Afghanistan, Korea

The vast majority of Ukrainians fall into what two ethnic groups?

Ukrainians and Russians

What is a "Kleptocracy?"

a government that steals from its people

Ukraine is bordered to the north and east by what two nations?

belarus and russia

What sea, located on Ukraine's southern border, is reported to have underdeveloped gas and oil fields?

black sea

The current President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was in what profession before he was elected?

comedian

Mr. Putin and the close circle of aides, view the overthrow of Mr. Yanukovych as what orchestrated by the West to undercut Russia's vital interests?

coup

US officials alleged that Russia has been preparing to "fabricate a pretext for an invasion" of Ukraine by creating what kind of operation?

false flag operation

Vladimir Putin said Russia reserved the right to use what against Ukraine as a "last resort?

force

Prior to the 2014 invasion, the Kremlin announced that their movement of 150,000 troops, as well as air and naval forces and live-fire demonstrations in several Russian bases next to Ukraine were not an invasion but just what?

maneuvers

Moscow demands that NATO do what in relation to Ukraine?

not allow ukraine to join and pull back US weapons from Eastern Europe

Why would a military escalation with Russia be extremely risky?

nukes ("mutually assured destruction")

Putin was able to justify invading Crimea because the majority of the population are of what ethnicity?

russian

What two seas define Ukraine's southern coast?

sea of azov and black sea

In 2014 the Ukrainian President turned from Europe to a trade deal with Russia which set off what reaction in Kiev? (Kyiv)

three months of protests

How many times in the past has Russia's Gazprom stopped gas shipments to Ukraine cutting off critical shipments to many European nations?

twice

Russia's Historic Strategic Priorities are what?

warm water ports