This is a list of military invasions that occurred or are still ongoing in the 21st century.
List
Invasion Invading forces Defending forces2026 invasion of LebanonPart of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) – On 2 March, Israel relaunched another large-scale military invasion of Lebanon against Hezbollah2024 invasion of Syria UNDOF
Assad loyalistsPart of the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War – On 8 December, Israel launched an invasion of Syria after the fall of the Syrian Arab Republic2024 invasion of Lebanon UNIFILPart of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) – On 1 October, Israel launched a military invasion of Lebanon against Hezbollah2024 invasion of KurskPart of the Russo-Ukrainian War – On 6 August, Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk Oblast. The largest settlement captured by Ukraine was Sudzha. North Korea sent forces to assist Russia starting in November 2024.2023 invasion of the Gaza Strip Beit Hanoun Gaza City Jabalia Khan Yunis Rafah Popular Forces Hilles clan Khanidak clan Gaza Strip HamasIslamic JihadPFLP DFLPJaysh al-Ummah (Gaza)Part of the Gaza war – After being attacked by Hamas earlier in 2023, Israel launched a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip to remove Hamas from political and military power, laying siege to Gaza City and Khan Yunis 2022 al-Shabaab invasion of Ethiopia Al-Shabaab Part of the Ethiopian–Somali conflict and Somali civil war – On 20 July, the Al-Shabaab militant group launched an invasion of Ethiopia’s Somali Region from Somalia. The invasion was the largest attack by al-Shabaab in Ethiopian territory to date. 2022 invasion of Ukraine Eastern Avdiivka Kharkiv Mariupol Northern Kyiv Chernihiv Sumy Snake Island Southern Kherson Mykolaiv Enerhodar Donetsk PR Luhansk PR Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War – On 24 February, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. The invasion became the largest attack on a European country since World War II. It is estimated to have caused tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties and hundreds of thousands of military casualties. By June 2022, Russian troops occupied about 20% of Ukrainian territory and established military or military-civilian administrations in several regions and cities. 2017 invasion of the Gambia 2014 invasion of Gaza Shuja'iyya Gaza Strip HamasIslamic JihadPFLP DFLP 2014 invasion of Ukraine Crimea Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War –2011 invasion of SomaliaPart of the Somali civil war – 2009 invasion of Gaza Gaza Strip Hamas Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine Fatah Popular Resistance CommitteesPart of the Gaza–Israel conflict – 2008 invasion of Georgia Part of the Abkhazia conflict, Georgian–Ossetian conflict, and Post-Soviet conflicts – 2008 invasion of Anjouan State of Anjouan2006 invasion of LebanonOn July 22, Israel launched a military invasion of Lebanon against Hezbollah. 2006 invasion of Somalia Transitional Federal Government Islamic Courts Union ONLF EritreaPart of the Ethiopian–Somali conflict – 2004 invasion of Gaza (IDF) Part of the Second Intifada – 2003 invasion of Iraq Kurdistan Region
MEKPart of the war on terror and the Iraq War2001 invasion of Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Taliban Haqqani network Non-state allies: Al-QaedaPart of the War in Afghanistan – Following the September 11 attacks, the United States declared the beginning of the war on terror. This subsequently led a multinational invasion of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which started on 7 October 2001. The goal of the invasion was to dismantle al-Qaeda, which had executed the attacks under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, and to deny Islamist militants a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by toppling the Taliban government. The capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, was captured by the coalition on 13 November and the Taliban government collapsed on 17 December.
See also List of battles in the 21st century List of coups d'état and coup attempts List of revolutions and rebellions
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