Ukraine

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<p>Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, the Russian Empire absorbed most Ukrainian territory. After czarist Russia collapsed in 1917, Ukraine -- which has long been known as the region's "bread basket" for its agricultural production -- achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but the country was reconquered and endured a Soviet rule that engineered two famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over eight million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for seven to eight million more deaths. In 1986, a sudden power surge during a reactor-systems test at Ukraine's Chernobyl power station triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, releasing massive amounts of radioactive material. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) dissolved, democracy and prosperity remained elusive, with the legacy of state control, patronage politics, and endemic corruption stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.</p> <p>In 2004 and 2005, a mass protest dubbed the "Orange Revolution" forced the authorities to overturn a presidential election and allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH became prime minister in 2006 and was elected president in 2010. In 2012, Ukraine held legislative elections that Western observers widely criticized as corrupt. In 2013, YANUKOVYCH backtracked on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU -- in favor of closer economic ties with Russia -- and then used force against protestors who supported the agreement, leading to a three-month protestor occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in 2014 led to multiple deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. Pro-West President Petro POROSHENKO took office later that year; Volodymyr ZELENSKYY succeeded him in 2019.</p> <p>Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in 2014, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. In response, the UN passed a resolution confirming Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. In mid-2014, Russia began an armed conflict in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces. International efforts to end the conflict failed, and by 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded. On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated the conflict by invading the country on several fronts, in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. Russia made substantial gains in the early weeks of the invasion but underestimated Ukrainian resolve and combat capabilities. Despite Ukrainian resistance, Russia has laid claim to four Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia -- although none is fully under Russian control. The international community has not recognized the annexations. The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over six million Ukrainian refugees recorded globally. It remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria). President ZELENSKYY has focused on boosting Ukrainian identity to unite the country behind the goals of ending the war through reclaiming territory and advancing Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership. </p>

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Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

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49 00 N, 32 00 E

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AsiaEurope

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<strong>note:</strong> Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, an area of approximately 27,000 sq km (10,400 sq miles)

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almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

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2,782 km

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temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

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mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, with mountains found only in the west (the Carpathians) or in the extreme south of the Crimean Peninsula

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iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land

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1,000 sq km (2022)

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Dunay (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Dnipro (Dnieper) river mouth (shared with Russia [s] and Belarus) - 2,287 km; Dnister (Dniester) river source and mouth (shared with Moldova) - 1,411 km; Vistula (shared with Poland [s/m] and Belarus) - 1,213 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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densest settlement in the eastern (Donbas) and western regions; notable concentrations in and around major urban areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k, and Odesa

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<strong>note: </strong>the ongoing war with Russia has shifted significant portions of the population, particularly in the east

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occasional floods; occasional droughts

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strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe after Russia

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Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.)

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Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish (2013 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> Ukraine's population is overwhelmingly Christian; the vast majority - up to two thirds - identify themselves as Orthodox, but many do not specify a particular branch; the OCU and the UOC-MP each represent less than a quarter of the country's population, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church accounts for 8-10%, and the UAOC accounts for 1-2%; Muslim and Jewish adherents each compose less than 1% of the total population

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<strong>note:</strong> data include Crimea

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2.42% (2025 est.)

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6.24 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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17.61 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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35.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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densest settlement in the eastern (Donbas) and western regions; notable concentrations in and around major urban areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k, and Odesa

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<strong>note: </strong>the ongoing war with Russia has shifted significant portions of the population, particularly in the east

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3.017 million KYIV (capital), 1.421 million Kharkiv, 1.008 million Odesa, 942,000 Dnipropetrovsk, 888,000 Donetsk (2023)

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26.2 years (2019 est.)

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15 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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1.22 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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0.59 (2025 est.)

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3.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

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6.3 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

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24.1% (2016)

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air and water pollution; land degradation; solid waste management; biodiversity loss; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 nuclear accident in Chornobyl'&nbsp;

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temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

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15.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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175.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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semi-presidential republic

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24 provinces (<em>oblasti</em>, singular - <em>oblast'</em>), 1 autonomous republic* (<em>avtonomna respublika</em>), and 2 municipalities** (<em>mista</em>, singular - <em>misto</em>) with oblast status; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol), Dnipropetrovsk (Dnipro), Donetsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad (Kropyvnytskyi), Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol**, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn (Lutsk), Zakarpattia (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr

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<strong>note 1:</strong> administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; exceptions show the administrative center name in parentheses <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the United States does not recognize Russia's annexation or renaming of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the municipality of Sevastopol; it similarly does not recognize the annexation of the Ukrainian oblasts Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson

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civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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18 years of age; universal

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<strong>note:</strong> a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC was created in 1992 and tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a presidential administration helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president

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<strong>note 1:</strong> the next legislative election is expected to take place after the Russian-Ukrainian War ends<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> voting not held in Crimea and parts of two Russian-occupied eastern oblasts leaving 26 seats vacant; although this brings the total to 424 elected members (of 450 potential), article 83 of the constitution mandates that a parliamentary majority consists of 226 seats

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European Solidarity or YeS<br>Fatherland or VOB<br>Holos<br>Servant of the People or SN

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Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CICA (observer), CIS (participating member, has not signed the 1993 CIS charter), EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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<strong>note</strong>: Ukraine is an EU candidate country and must complete accession criteria before being granted full membership

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24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: ca. 982 (VOLODYMYR I consolidates Kyivan Rus); 1199 (Principality (later Kingdom) of Ruthenia formed); 1648 (establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate); 22 January 1918 (from Soviet Russia)

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Independence Day, 24 August (1991)

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<strong>note:</strong> 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence from Soviet Russia, is now celebrated as Unity Day

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<strong>description:</strong> two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and yellow<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>the colors date back to medieval heraldry, but they are sometimes said to represent grain fields under a blue sky

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tryzub (trident), sunflower

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blue, yellow

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<p>lower-middle-income, non-EU, Eastern European economy; key wheat and corn exporter; gradual recovery after 30% GDP contraction at start of war; damage to infrastructure and agriculture balanced by consumer and business resilience in western Ukraine; international aid has stabilized foreign exchange reserves, allowing managed currency float; continued progress on anti-corruption reforms</p>

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$190.741 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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maize, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, milk, barley, soybeans, rapeseed, tomatoes (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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industrial machinery, ferrous and nonferrous metals, automotive and aircraft components, electronics, chemicals, textiles, mining, construction

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4.1% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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20.539 million (2021 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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1.6% (2020 est.)

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<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

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<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

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17.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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Poland 12%, Romania 9%, Turkey 7%, China 6%, Spain 6% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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corn, seed oils, wheat, iron ore, soybeans (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 16%, Poland 14%, Germany 8%, Turkey 6%, USA 4% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, cars, natural gas, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<strong>note:</strong> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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media landscape dominated by oligarch-owned news outlets; United News created for 24-hour news about the war with Russia, a joint effort from the Ukrainian public broadcaster and top commercial TV channels; Ukraine Radio's Suspilne and privately owned Radio NV are the national talk radio networks (2021)

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.ua

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UR

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152 (2025)

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44 (2025)

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Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces, Air Assault Forces, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves)<br><br>Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard), National Police of Ukraine (2025)

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<strong>note 1:</strong> combat units of the National Guard, National Police, and Border Guards come under the control of the Armed Forces in wartime.<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong>the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were formally established in July 2021; the TDF evolved from former Territorial Defense Battalions and other volunteer militia and paramilitary units that were organized in 2014-2015 to fight Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas; in January 2022, the TDF was activated as a separate military branch<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> collectively, the AFU and the forces under the Ministry of Interior are known as the Defense Forces of Ukraine (DFU)

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<strong>note:</strong> since Russia's invasion of the country in early 2022, annual defense spending has increased to more than 30% of GDP according to some estimates

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estimated 850,000-1 million active Defense Forces (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President ZELENSKY announced a general mobilization of the country; prior to the invasion, Ukraine had approximately 200,000 active Armed Forces troops, approximately 50,000 National Guard, and approximately 40,000 State Border Guard

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prior to the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian military was equipped largely with Russian-origin and Soviet-era weapons systems; since the invasion, it has received considerable quantities of weapons, including Soviet-era and more modern Western systems, from European countries and the US; Ukraine also has a growing inventory of domestically produced armaments (2025)

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18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; 25 years of age for conscription for men; 18-24 months service obligation (2025)

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<strong>note 1: </strong>conscription was abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014; following the Russian invasion in 2022, all non-exempt men ages 18-60 were required to register with their local recruitment offices and undergo medical screening for possible service; the Territorial Defense Forces accept volunteers, 18-60 years of age<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong>in February 2025, the military implemented a new option for volunteers age 18-24 to sign one-year contracts in return for higher wages, a signing bonus, exemption from mobilization for 12 months, and other social benefits<strong><br><br></strong><strong>note 3: </strong>women have been able to volunteer for military service since 1993; as of 2024, nearly 70,000 women were serving in the armed forces in both uniformed and civilian positions <br><br><strong>note 4:</strong> since 2015, the Ukrainian military has allowed foreigners and stateless persons, 18-45 (in special cases up to 60), to join on 3-5-year contracts, based on qualifications; following the 2022 Russian invasion, the military began accepting medically fit foreign volunteers on a larger scale into an International Legion

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<strong>note:</strong> prior to the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine had committed about 500 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Poland and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation

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the primary focus of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) is defense against Russian aggression; in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in what is the largest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945; as of 2025, the front line of the fighting stretched about 1,000 kilometers (some 600 miles) north and south in eastern and southern Ukraine; Russia’s forces have also launched missile and armed drone strikes throughout Ukraine, hitting critical infrastructure, including power, water, and heating facilities, as well as other civilian targets; Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backing separatist forces in the Donbas region with arms, equipment, and training, as well as military personnel, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; the UAF has received outside military assistance since the Russian invasion, including equipment and training, chiefly from Europe and the US<br><br>Ukraine has a relationship with NATO dating back to the early 1990s, when Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991) and the Partnership for Peace program (1994); the relationship intensified in the wake of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russian seizure of Crimea to include NATO support for Ukrainian military capabilities development and capacity-building; NATO and individual NATO countries further increased support to the Ukrainian military following Russia’s 2022 invasion (2025)

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State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU; established 1992 as the National Space Agency of Ukraine or NSAU and renamed in 2010) (2025)

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the country inherited a large, well-developed space program when it gained independence in 1991, taking over all the former Soviet defense/space industry that was located on its territory; the modern program includes the production of satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rocket carriers, satellites, and related components; prior to the Russian invasion in 2022, the country was producing more than 100 SLVs, SLV stages, or SLV engines annually; has worked with numerous foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia (curtailed after 2014), Turkey, and the US, as well as the ESA, the EU, and their member states (particularly Italy and Poland); has about 20 state-run space industries; in 2019, the Ukrainian Parliament began allowing private companies to engage in space activities (2025)

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<strong>note: </strong>Dnipro, known as Ukraine's “Rocket City,” was one of the Soviet Union’s main centers for space, nuclear, and military industries and played a crucial role in the development and manufacture of both civilian and military rockets<strong><br></strong>

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1995 - first domestically produced remote sensing (RS) satellite (Sich-1) launched on Ukrainian Tsyklon-3 rocket<br><br>1997 - first Ukrainian astronaut in space on US Space Shuttle<br><br>1999 - first launch of Dnipro-1, a domestically produced satellite launch vehicle (SLV)<br><br>2008 - first launch of Zenit-3SLB, a domestically produced SLV <br><br>2014 - launched first domestically produced microsatellite (PolyITAN-1)<br><br>2020 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration<br><br>2021 - first successful launch of joint Ukrainian-US commercial light SLV (Alpha)<br><br>2022 - domestically produced RS microsatellite (Sich 2-30) launched by US<br><br>2024 - first Ukrainian woman to suborbital space on US commercial spacecraft