[[Fil:2nd_Battalion,_503rd_Infantry_Regiment,_173rd_Airborne_Brigade_depart_Aviano_Air_Base,_Italy,_Feb._24,_2022.jpg|thumb| Amerikanske faldskærmstropper rejser fra Italiens luftbase Aviano til [[Letland]] den 23. februar 2022. Tusindvis af amerikanske tropper blev udsendt til Østeuropa midt under Ruslands militære oprustning.<ref>{{Kilde nyheder|url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-02-24/173rd-Airborne-Brigade-Ukraine-Latvia-Russia-5128627.html|title=173rd Airborne Brigade battalion heads to Latvia as Ukraine comes under Russian attack|date=24. februar 2022|work=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]|access-date=25. februar 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220226/https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-02-24/173rd-Airborne-Brigade-Ukraine-Latvia-Russia-5128627.html|archive-date=26. februar 2022}}</ref>]]
Den indledende troppeopbygning blev efterfulgt af andre troppeopbygning mellem oktober 2021 og februar 2022 i både Rusland og Hviderusland.<ref name="Zsymbol">{{Cite web|last=Schogol|first=Jeff|date=22. februar 2022|title=Here's what those mysterious white 'Z' markings on Russian military equipment may mean|url=https://taskandpurpose.com/analysis/russian-military-equipment-white-markings/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220227/https://taskandpurpose.com/analysis/russian-military-equipment-white-markings/|archive-date=27. februar 2022|access-date=27. februar 2022|website=[[Task & Purpose]]|publisher=North Equity|quote=[B]ottom line is the 'Z' markings (and others like it) are a deconfliction measure to help prevent fratricide, or friendly fire incidents.}}</ref> Under hele denne periode benægtede den russiske regering gentagne gange, at den havde planer om at invadere eller angribe Ukraine;<ref name="denials">{{Kilde nyheder|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/24/ukraine-russia-denials/|title=Russia's attack on Ukraine came after months of denials it would attack|last=Taylor|first=Adam|date=24. februar 2022|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=26. februar 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220224205233/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/24/ukraine-russia-denials/|archive-date=24. februar 2022|publisher=[[Jeff Bezos#The Washington Post|Nash Holdings]]|others=Photograph by [[Evgeniy Maloletka]] ([[Associated Press]])|issn=0190-8286|oclc=2269358|quote=On Sunday ... "There is no invasion. There is no such plans," Antonov said.}}</ref><ref>{{Kilde nyheder|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-putin-invasion-after-denials-now-says-no-occupation-plan|title=Putin attacked Ukraine after insisting for months there was no plan to do so. Now he says there's no plan to take over.|date=24. februar 2022|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=26. februar 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220227/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-putin-invasion-after-denials-now-says-no-occupation-plan|archive-date=27. februar 2022|publisher=[[Columbia Broadcasting System|CBS]]|location=[[Kharkiv]]|publication-date=22. februar 2022}}</ref> dem, der udstedte benægtelserne, omfattede Putins talsmand Dmitrij Peskov i november 2021, viceudenrigsminister Sergei Ryabkov i januar 2022,<ref name="Deny">{{Kilde nyheder|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2022/02/russian-rhetoric-ahead-of-attack-against-ukraine-deny-deflect-mislead/|title=Russian Rhetoric Ahead of Attack Against Ukraine: Deny, Deflect, Mislead|last=Farley|first=Robert|date=24. februar 2022|work=[[FactCheck.org]]|access-date=26. februar 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220227/https://www.factcheck.org/2022/02/russian-rhetoric-ahead-of-attack-against-ukraine-deny-deflect-mislead/|archive-date=27. februar 2022|publisher=[[Annenberg Public Policy Center]]|last2=Kiely|first2=Eugene|others=Photograph by Aris Messinis ([[Agence France-Presse]])|quote=Nov. 28 – ... 'Russia has never hatched, is not hatching and will never hatch any plans to attack anyone,' Peskov said. ... Jan. 19 – ... Ryabkov ... 'We do not want and will not take any action of aggressive character. We will not attack, strike, invade, quote unquote, whatever Ukraine.'}}</ref> den russisk ambassadør i USA Anatoly Antonov den 20. februar 2022,<ref name="denials" /> og den russisk ambassadør til Tjekkiet Alexander Zmeevsky den 23. februar 2022.<ref name="Czech">{{Kilde nyheder|url=https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/jevhen-perebyjnis-alexandr-zmejevskij-velvyslanec-rusko-ukrajina.A220307_095550_domaci_klf|title=Velvyslanec Ukrajiny v Česku denně promlouvá, ruský mlčí a je 'neviditelný'|last=Fořtová|first=Klára|date=8. marts 2022|work=[[iDNES]]|access-date=10. marts 2022|language=cs|quote=Zmejevský ... 'Důrazně jsme odmítli jako nepodložená obvinění Ruska z přípravy, agrese vůči Ukrajině a fámy o vstupu ruských jednotek na ukrajinské území,' stojí v něm.}}</ref>
Historie