This article discusses the attempts of Russian officials to hide the elephant in the room -
Russia’s military participation in a war that Russia falsely portrays as civil war in eastern
Ukraine. Unlike Russia’s propaganda, it relies on the facts of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine,
facts that show that Russian troops participated in the fighting in Donbas even though this
has been adamantly denied by the highest ranking Russian officials. The author concludes that
international law requires Russia and Russian leaders to be held responsible for waging a war of
aggression against Ukraine.