04/08/2026
From the Russian Civil War through the Soviet period and into the Russian Federation, successive governments in Moscow used military invasions, occupations, proxy wars, political coercion, and settler colonization to expand or preserve their influence across Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and beyond.
Russian and Soviet forces invaded or occupied neighboring states such as Ukraine, the Baltic countries, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, and Georgia, while also suppressing independence movements within the empire.
Moscow also supported or directed proxy conflicts, including the Korean War, which began when the extremely brutal Russian installed North Korean regime invaded South Korea in June 1950 with the approval of Joseph Stalin and substantial Soviet military assistance.
In the post-Soviet era, Russia has continued to project military power through interventions and occupations in places such as Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic, using a combination of conventional forces, proxy organizations, and political influence to pursue its strategic objectives.
