Endling is set in the days immediately preceding and following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This event was a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the start of armed conflict in the Donbas region. In the weeks leading up to the 2022 invasion, Russia amassed over 150,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders, claiming they were for military exercises. Despite warnings from international intelligence agencies, many observers remained skeptical that a full-scale assault would occur. This followed a 2021 demand that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed without evidence that Ukraine shielded neo-Nazis attacking Russian citizens, and he launched a ground invasion and air strikes from Belarus, headed toward the capital Kyiv.

The war follows years of unrest and uncertainty between the two countries. After Russia coerced the Ukrainian government to withdraw from an agreement with the EU in 2013, citizens protested, which resulted in over 100 civilians being killed by state forces. The leader who allowed this was replaced, but in 2014, Russian soldiers began occupying Ukrainian territory. The regions of Crimea and Donbas were annexed by Russia, causing Ukraine to seek to join NATO. Attempts to resolve the conflict failed, and the West reacted weakly to Russia’s increasing aggression leading up to the eventual invasion.

As of 2026, the Russo-Ukrainian War has become the deadliest war and has instigated the largest refugee crisis since World War II, with hundreds of thousands of military casualties, tens of thousands of civilian casualties, and millions either displaced within Ukraine or forced to flee the country. The UN has reported severe human rights violations, and the conflict has amassed hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to Ukraine. Endling captures the skepticism occurring just before the invasion began, satirizing the reactions of both the international community and Ukrainians to the impending war.