Boreal War

The Boreal War (: Бореальная война, : Borealinis karas, : Boreālais karš, : Bóreal stríð) was an in northern and eastern Artemia between the United Federated Districts of Yarova, supported by the Republic of Lestykhol, and the United Republics of Aukalnia and Sartland, supported by the Gardic Realm and other Pan-Artemian Coalition (PAC) member states. The conflict escalated on 28 April, 2020 with the deployment of 3,500 troops of the Yarovan Federal Armed Forces into the disputed territory of Shvekshna following the alleged deadly shooting of five Yarovan civilians in the region by Aukalnian military personnel. The subsequent launch of s by the Yarovan Airforce on several majority-Aukalnian settlements in Shvekshna, including Salantai, Grituny, Joniškėlis, and Troškūnai, resulted in the United Republics’ on 30 April. In addition to this, Yarova was expelled from the League of Free Nations, in spite of announcing an abrupt departure from the organisation seven days earlier. Shortly afterwards, reports surfaced by the Legantine news network Aube of Yarovan airstrikes having targeted the Aukalnian capital of Ažytėnai.

Tensions between the United Federated Districts and the United Republics had begun to brew following the election of Yarovan President Tanas Gruzdev, a fervent and proponent of Shvekshna’s reunification with Yarova. Although Gruzdev had issued an to see to the dissolution of YZAGA and the withdrawal of Yarovan troops stationed at BSVY Vetka and BSVY Dzyatlovo in the then-Graznava People’s Republic (now recognised as South Kryzhelovschina), the five military installations located in Aukalnia and Sartland were not met with the same direction from Shchyokhov. As early as 15 April, Aukalnian President Džiugas Svidrauskas had declared a and made calls to the Yarovan federal government to “immediately withdraw” from the United Republics. It was the position of the Gruzdev administration, however, that a withdrawal could not take place without Svidrauskas’ explicit support of a referendum on Shvekshna’s reunification with Yarova. A ceasefire was agreed between Yarova and Gardarike on 13 December 2020, however, no peace treaty has been formally signed in the time since.

Yarovan annexation and Shvekshna in the United Federated Districts (1853-1992)
From 1853 onwards, ethnic and  s, often referred to as the pereselenists (from the Yarovan word "pereselenets" meaning 'frontiersman'), were given land  from the indigenous  following its annexation by the Yarovan Empire. Coupled with the immigration of Yarovars and Peremorovkars to other parts of southern Aukalnia, which had been recorded from as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, ethnic tensions in the region culminated in the Pitchfork Rebellion of 1854. However, Yarovan dominance was copperfastened with the successful quelling of the revolt and the displacement of as far north as Grituny. The legal prohibition of the usage of the Aukalnian language further ensured the empire’s control over Shvekshna and before long, the region was considered an extension of the Peremorovka Governorate to which it was incorporated. Along with that of Benediktgrad (modern-day Ažytėnai), the constitutional status of Shvekshna became a focal point of activities.