Share of each country’s news about armed violence, last 12 months
RussiaUkraine
Russia vs Ukraine: which is more tense right now?
This week, 9.6% of the news located in Russia is about armed violence (#18 of 74), against 11.6% in Ukraine (#15). Ukraine is the more tense of the two right now.
Russia9.6%#18 · around its usual level
Ukraine11.6%#15 · around its usual level
Russia tenser than Ukraine12%of weeks since 2017
Both most tense7 January 2024week with the highest combined reading
Weekly average since 2017
RussiaUkraine
Year by yearshare of each country’s news about armed violence
| Year | Russia, average | Ukraine, average | More tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13.3% | 15.8% | Ukraine |
| 2025 | 11.9% | 13.3% | Ukraine |
| 2024 | 14.2% | 16.2% | Ukraine |
| 2023 | 13.6% | 16.1% | Ukraine |
| 2022 | 11.2% | 13.1% | Ukraine |
| 2021 | 6.5% | 7.8% | Ukraine |
| 2020 | 6.7% | 7.6% | Ukraine |
| 2019 | 6.4% | 7.0% | Ukraine |
| 2018 | 7.5% | 8.9% | Ukraine |
| 2017 | 7.5% | 9.7% | Ukraine |
Frequently asked questions
Is Russia or Ukraine more tense right now?
Ukraine is the more tense this week: 11.6% of its news is about armed violence, against 9.6% for Russia.
Which has been more tense since 2017, Russia or Ukraine?
Russia was the more tense of the two in 12% of weeks since 2017, Ukraine in the other 88%.
When were Russia and Ukraine most tense together?
In the week to 7 January 2024: 21.1% for Russia and 24.0% for Ukraine.
How is this measured?
For each country, Riftrate measures the share of the news located there that is about armed violence (war and terrorism, excluding ordinary crime), over 7 days, from the GDELT event database. It does not depend on the size of the country. It measures the news, not casualties.