Sviatoslav declares his intention of establishing a Russo-Bulgarian empire with its capital at Pereyaslavets (now Perejaslav-Chmel'nickij) on the Danube River.

Transferring his capital here in 969, …

…Sviatoslav designates Vladimir, his youngest son by his housekeeper Malusha, as ruler of Novgorod the Great, but …

…gives Kiev to Yaropolk, the elder of his two legitimate sons.

Oleg receives the rulership of of Drelinia, a region which is today in the western Ukraine.

Sviatoslav, in the spring of 972 returning with a small retinue from his successful campaign against the Bulgarian Empire to Kievan Rus, is ambushed and killed by the Pechenegs (a Turkic people) near the cataracts of the Dnieper River.

According to the Primary Chronicle, the Pecheneg Khan Kurya makes a chalice from his skull, a traditional steppe nomad custom.

The greatest of the Varangian princes of early Russo-Ukrainian history, Sviatoslav is to be the last non-Christian ruler of the Kievan state.

His three heirs will in 976 initiate a civil war for their father’s vacant throne.

Vladimir, the son of the Norse-’Rus prince Sviatoslav of Kiev by one of his courtesans, had been made prince of Novgorod in 970.

His brothers Oleg and Yaropolk had received, respectively, Drevlian and Kiev.

A few years after the death of their father in 972, the brothers initiate a civil war for their father's throne.

Yaropolk’s Kievan forces defeat his brother Oleg’s Drevlian troops in 977; Oleg is slain while fleeing.

Vladimir goes to Scandinavia to seek aid against his surviving sibling.

Returning in 978 with Norse mercenaries, he seizes Polotsk.

Haakon is the son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag and Hålogaland.

His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre.

Adam of Bremen wrote that he was "of the stock of Ivar (possibly Ivar the Boneless) and descended from a race of giants".

In the sagas, Haakon claimed descent from the divine linage of Sæming, son of Odin.

The Hakon Jarl Runestones in Sweden may refer to him.

Haakon had become earl after his father was killed by King Harald Greyhide's men in 961.

He warred with King Harald for some time, until he was forced to flee to Denmark and Harald Bluetooth.

In Denmark, he had conspired with Harald Bluetooth against Harald Greyhide.

Haakon Jarl had arranged the death of Harald Greyhide around 971 with the connivance of Harald Bluetooth, who had invited his foster-son to Denmark to be invested with new Danish fiefs.

Civil war had broken out between Haakon Jarl and the surviving brothers of Harald Greyhide, but Haakon proved victorious.

After this, Haakon Jarl ruled Norway as a vassal of Harald Bluetooth, but he is in reality an independent ruler.

For Harald, he had attacked Götaland and killed its ruler Jarl Ottar.

When Haakon was in Denmark, Harald Bluetooth had forced him to accept baptism and assigned him clergymen to take to Norway to spread Christianity.

When a favorable wind came for Haakon to leave, he had commanded the clergymen to return ashore.

Around 973-974, he had gone to Denmark to help Harald Bluetooth of Denmark in his defense against the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II.

Otto's forces had successfully opposed an attempt by Harald to throw off the German yoke.

Since then, Haakon pays no taxes to Denmark.

Haakon is a strong believer in the old Norse gods, and when Harald Bluetooth attempted to force Christianity upon him around 975, Haakon had broken his allegiance to Denmark.

In 977, Vladimir I of Kiev had fled to him, collecting as many of the Viking warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod, and on his return the next year marched against Yaropolk I of Kiev.

Having secured Polotsk, Vladimir marches on Novgorod, expels Yaropolk’s administrators, and by 979 has reasserted control over the city.