Thistimeline of the Russo-Ukrainian war covers the period from 24 February 2022, whenRussia launcheda military invasion ofUkraine, to 7 April 2022 when fighting focused away from thenorth and towards thesouth andeast of Ukraine.
Thistimeline is a dynamic and fluid list, and as such may never satisfy criteria of completeness. Please note that some events may only be discovered or fully understood in retrospect.
Russian PresidentVladimir Putinannounced his decision to launch a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine.[1][2] He stated there were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and that he supported the right of the peoples of Ukraine toself-determination.[3] Putin also stated that Russia sought the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine,[4][5] and that "all responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine."[6] TheRussian Ministry of Defence asked air traffic control units of Ukraine to stop flights, and the airspace over Ukraine was restricted to non-civilian air traffic, and the whole area was deemed an active conflict zone by theEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency.[7][8]
Within minutes of Putin's announcement, explosions were reported inKyiv,Kharkiv,Odesa, and theDonbas.[9] Ukrainian officials said that Russian troops had landed inMariupol and Odesa, and launchedcruise andballistic missiles at airfields, military headquarters, and military depots in Kyiv, Kharkiv, andDnipro.[10][11][12] Military vehicles entered Ukraine throughSenkivka, where Ukraine meets Belarus and Russia.[13] A video captured Russian troops entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea.[14][15]
The Kremlin planned initially to target artillery and missiles atcommand and control centres and then send fighter jets and helicopters to quickly gainair superiority.[16] TheCenter for Naval Analyses said that Russia would create apincer movement to encircle Kyiv and envelop Ukraine's forces in the east, with theCenter for Strategic and International Studies identifying three axes of advance: from Belarus in the north, from Donetsk in the center, and from Crimea in the south.[16] The US said it believed that Russia intended to "decapitate" Ukraine's government and install its own,[17] andUS intelligence officials believed that Kyiv would fall within 96 hours.[18]
Russian forces began invading near Kharkiv,[19] and large-scaleamphibious landings were reported in Mariupol.[20][21][22] Troops also entered the country from Belarus.[23] TheUkrainian Border Force reported attacks onLuhansk Oblast,Sumy Oblast,Kharkiv Oblast,Chernihiv Oblast, andZhytomyr Oblast, as well as from Crimea.[24] The Ukrainian interior ministry reported that Russian forces had captured the villages of Horodyshche andMilove in Luhansk.[20] The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication reported that the Ukrainian army had repelled an attack atShchastia (near Luhansk) and retaken control of the town, claiming nearly 50 Russian lives.[25]
A briefing by the Ukrainian presidential administration reported that Russian troops had invaded Ukraine from the north (up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the border), and Russian troops were active in Kharkiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, and nearSumy.[29] The press briefing also reported that Ukraine had repulsed an attack inVolyn Oblast.[30] The Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported that they had stopped Russian troops in Chernihiv Oblast, a major battle near Kharkiv was in progress, and Mariupol and Shchastia had been fully retaken.[31]
Belarus allowed Russian troops to invade Ukraine from the north, at 11:00 (UTC+2). Ukrainian border guards reported a border breach inVilcha (Kyiv Oblast), and border guards in Zhytomyr Oblast were bombarded by Russian rocket launchers.[35] A helicopter without markings reportedly bombed border posts inSlavutych from Belarus.[36] A second wave of Russian missile bombings targeted the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, andLviv. Heavy ground fighting was reported in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.[37]
Ukrainian border guards and Armed Forces reported two new clashes near Sumy ("in the direction ofKonotop") andStarobilsk in Luhansk Oblast.[35] Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported four ballistic missiles launched from Belarus in a southwestern direction.[35] Several stations of theKyiv Metro andKharkiv Metro were used as bomb shelters for the local population.[35] A local hospital inVuhledar (Donetsk Oblast) was reportedly bombed, with four civilians dead and 10 wounded, including six physicians.[35]
TheState Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced that Russian forces had capturedSnake Island followingnaval and air bombardment.[47] All thirteen border guards on the island were assumed to have been killed, after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship and a recording of the guards refusing an offer to surrender went viral on social media. Zelenskyy announced that they would be posthumously granted the title ofHero of Ukraine, the country's highest honour.[48][49] Seventeen civilians were confirmed killed, including thirteen killed inSouthern Ukraine,[50] three in Mariupol, and one in Kharkiv.[51] Zelenskyy said that 137 Ukrainian citizens (both soldiers and civilians) died on the first day of the invasion, whilst claiming that over 1,000 Russian soldiers had also been killed in the same period.[23][52] He ordered ageneral mobilisation of all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60 years old, who were also banned from leaving Ukraine.[53]
"Kyiv Tense as Russian Forces Advance", video news report fromVoice of America
At 04:00 local time, Kyiv was rocked by two explosions from cruise and ballistic missiles.[54] The Ukrainian government said that it had shot down an enemy aircraft over Kyiv, which crashed into a residential building, setting it on fire.[55] Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister Evgeny Yenin later clarified Russia had shot down aSukhoi Su-27 aircraft, part of Ukraine's military.[56]
Independent military analysts noted that Russian forces in the north of the country appeared to be heavily engaged by the Ukrainian military. Russian units attempting to encircle Kyiv and advance into Kharkiv were bogged down in heavy fighting, with social media images suggesting that some Russian armoured columns were ambushed.[57]
Russian operations in the east and south were more effective. The Russian units outside Donbas appeared to have manoeuvred around the prepared defensive trenches and attacked Ukrainian defensive positions in the rear. Meanwhile, Russian military forces advancing from Crimea divided into two columns, with analysts suggesting that they may have been attempting to encircle and entrap the Ukrainian defenders at Donbas, forcing the Ukrainians to abandon their prepared defences and fight in the open.[57]
Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting civilian sites;[58] Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative Vadym Denysenko said that 33 civilian sites had been hit in the previous 24 hours.[59]
Ukraine's Defence Ministry stated that Russian forces had enteredObolon, Kyiv, and were approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from theVerkhovna Rada building, seat of the parliament of Ukraine.[48][60] Russia'sSpetsnaz troops infiltrated the city with the intention of "hunting" government officials.[61] An unmarked armored vehicle was filmed veering across a road and crushing a civilian car in northern Kyiv. Although widely captioned as the act of a Russian tank, experts suggested it was unclear who operated the military vehicle or why the incident occurred. The civilian driving the car, an elderly man, survived and was helped out by locals.[62][63][64]
An apartment block in Kyiv (Oleksandr Koshyts Street) after shelling, 25 February
The mayor ofHorlivka in the Russian-backedDonetsk People's Republic said that the Ukrainian military had hit a local school building, killing two teachers.[65]
As Russian troops approached Kyiv, Zelenskyy posted a video of him still being in Kyiv and in another asking residents to prepare any means, likeMolotov cocktails, to "neutralise" the enemy. Putin meanwhile called on the Ukrainian military tooverthrow the government.[66][67] Ukraine distributed 18,000 guns to Kyiv residents who expressed a willingness to fight and deployed theTerritorial Defence Forces, the reserves of the Ukrainian military, to defend Kyiv.[68] The Defence Ministry also announced that all Ukrainian civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of their age.[10]
By the evening,the Pentagon stated that Russia had not establishedair supremacy over Ukrainian airspace, as US analysts had predicted. Ukrainianair defence capabilities had been degraded by Russian attacks, but remained operational. Military aircraft from both nations continued to fly over Ukraine.[69] The Pentagon also said that Russian troops were not advancing as quickly as either US intelligence or Moscow had believed they would, that Russia had not taken any population centres, and that Ukrainian command and control was still intact. The Pentagon warned that Russia had sent into Ukraine only 30 per cent of the 150,000–190,000 troops it had massed at the border.[70]
TheFederated States of Micronesia severed diplomatic relations with Russia due to the invasion,[74] becoming the second country, after Ukraine, to do so.
Apartment block in Kyiv (Valeriy Lobanovskyi Avenue) struck by a missile, 26 February
Apartment block inKharkiv partially destroyed by a missile, 26 February
Heavy fighting was reported overnight to the south of Kyiv, nearVasylkiv andits air base.[75] TheUkrainian General Staff reported that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter had shot down a RussianIl-76 transport plane carryingparatroopers near the city.[76] Vasylkiv mayor Natalia Balasinovich said her city was successfully defended by Ukrainian forces and fighting was ending.[77]
More than 48 explosions in 30 minutes were reported around Kyiv, as the Ukrainian military was reported to be fighting near the CHP-6 power station in the northern neighbourhood ofTroieshchyna.[78]BBC News reported that the attack might have been an attempt to cut off electricity to the city. Heavy fighting was reported near theKyiv Zoo and theShuliavka neighbourhood. The Ukrainian military said it repelled a Russian attack on an army base onPeremohy Avenue, a main road in Kyiv;[79] it also said it repelled a Russian assault onMykolaiv on the Black Sea.[80] American officials said a Russian Il-76 transport plane was shot down by Ukrainian forces nearBila Tserkva, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Kyiv.[81][82][83] US officials stated that American intelligence data, shared with Ukrainian forces in real-time, helped to down the Il-76.[84] Zelenskyy, remaining in Kyiv, refused US offers of evacuation, instead requesting more ammunition for Ukrainian troops.[85]
Hundreds of casualties were reported in overnight fighting in Kyiv, where shelling destroyed an apartment building, bridges, and schools.[81] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that its aircraft had conducted 34 sorties in the past 24 hours, indicating that Russia had unexpectedly continued to fail to gain air superiority.[86]
By afternoon, most of the Russian forces that had amassed around Ukraine were fighting in the country. Mayor Klitschko of Kyiv imposed a curfew from 5 p.m. 26 February until 8 a.m. 28 February, warning that anyone found outside during that time would be considered part of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups.[87] Internet connections were disrupted in parts of Ukraine, particularly the south and east.[88] In response to a request fromMykhailo Fedorov, theVice-Prime Minister of Ukraine,Elon Musk announced that he had turned on hisStarlink service in Ukraine, with "more terminals en route".[89][90]
"Solemn Kyiv Copes with Bombs, Gunfire", a video news report fromVoice of America
Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative Vadym Denysenko said that Russian forces had advanced further towardsEnerhodar and theZaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, that they were deploying Grad missiles there and might attack the plant.[91] The Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration stated that the Russian forces advancing on Enerhodar later returned to Bolshaya Belozerka, a village located 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city, on the same day.[92]
A Japanese-owned cargo ship, theMVNamura Queen with 20 crew members aboard, was struck by a Russian missile in the Black Sea. AMoldovan ship,MVMillennial Spirit, was also shelled by a Russian warship, causing serious injuries.[93]
A six-year-old boy was killed and multiple others were wounded when artillery fire hit the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv.[96] The Ukrainian military stated they had blown up a convoy of 56 tankers inChernihiv Oblast carrying diesel for Russian forces.[97]
By the end of the day, Russian forces had failed to encircle and isolate Kyiv, despite mechanised and airborne attacks.[98] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia had committed its operational northern reserve of 17battalion tactical groups (BTGs) after Ukrainian forces halted the advance of 14 BTGs north of Kyiv.[86] Russia temporarily abandoned attempts to seize Chernihiv and Kharkiv after attacks were repelled by determined Ukrainian resistance, and bypassed those cities to continue towards Kyiv.[98] In the south, Russia tookBerdiansk and threatened to encircle Mariupol.[86]
TheInstitute for the Study of War (ISW) said that poor planning and execution was leading to morale and logistical issues for the Russian military in northern Ukraine.[98] US and UK officials reported that Russian forces faced shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel, leading to tanks and armoured vehicles stalling and slowing their advance.[99] Videos also emerged online of Russian tanks andarmoured personnel carriers (APCs) stranded on the roadside.[100] Russia continued to not use its full arsenal; the ISW said this was likely to avoid the diplomatic and public relations consequences of mass civilian casualties, as well as to avoid creating rubble that would impede the advance of its own forces.[86]
Meanwhile, internationally military aid was agreed on by NATO, parallel to calls for other measures.[101]
Equipment of a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group captured inOdesa Oblast
Overnight, a gas pipeline outside Kharkiv was reported blown up by a Russian attack,[102] while an oil depot in the village ofKriachky [uk] near Vasylkiv ignited after being hit by missiles.[103] Heavy fighting near theVasylkiv air base prevented firefighters from tackling the blaze.[104] Also, a group ofUkrainian Roma reportedly seized a Russian tank inLiubymivka, close toKakhovka in Kherson Oblast.[105][106] The Presidential Office stated thatZhuliany Airport was also bombed.[107] Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk province said that an oil terminal in the town ofRovenky was hit by a Ukrainian missile.[108] TheState Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv rescued 80 people from a nine-story residential building hit by Russian artillery, extensively damaging it and killing a woman.[109]
Nova Kakhovka's mayor, Vladimir Kovalenko, confirmed that the city had been seized by Russian troops, and accused them of destroying the settlements ofKozatske andVesele.[110] Russian troops also entered Kharkiv, with fighting in the city streets, including in the city centre.[111] At the same time, Russian tanks started pushing into Sumy.[112] The Russian Defense Ministry announced that they had completely surrounded Kherson and Berdiansk, and capturedHenichesk andKherson International Airport inChornobaivka.[113][114] Ukrainian forcesstruck the Russian-occupied airport at Chornobaivka, inflicting losses on the Russian army.[115] By early afternoon, Kharkiv Oblast governorOleh Synyehubov stated that Ukrainian forces had regained full control of Kharkiv,[116] and Ukrainian authorities said that dozens of Russian troops had surrendered.[117] Hennadiy Matsegora, the mayor ofKupiansk, agreed to hand over control of the city to Russian forces.[118]
Germany, an until then cautious power,declared the situation a watershed and pledged large defensive investments and readiness to support far reaching sanctions.[119]In a televised address, Putin ordered the Minister of Defence and theChief of the General Staff "to put the[nuclear] deterrence forces of theRussian army into a special mode of combat service", in response to what he called "aggressive statements" by NATO members.[120][121][122] The phrase Putin used, namely "special mode of combat service", was unknown on the basis of open sources.[123] The order was interpreted as a threat and met with criticism from NATO, the EU, and theUnited Nations (UN); NATO Secretary-GeneralJens Stoltenberg described it as "dangerous and irresponsible", while UN officialStéphane Dujarric called the idea of a nuclear war "inconceivable".[124][125]
According to intelligence analyst firm Rochan Consulting, Russia had succeeded in connecting Crimea with areas in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian forces by besieging Mariupol and Berdiansk.[126]Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Zelenskyy, said that Berdiansk had been captured by Russian forces.[127] The main Russian force from the Crimea advanced north towardsZaporizhzhia, while a Russian force on the east bank of the Dnipro threatened Mykolaiv.[128]
Remnants of adestroyed Russian column on 27 February inBucha.
Russian forces were pushed back inBucha andIrpin to the north-west of Kyiv. According to Lithuanian Defense MinisterArvydas Anušauskas, the Russians suffered 4,300 casualties in the first three days of the invasion. He also claimed they had lost 27 planes, 26 helicopters, 146 tanks, 706 AFVs, 1Buk missile system, 4BM-21 Grad anti-aircraft systems, 2 drones, and 2 ships.[129]
According to UK military intelligence, Russian mechanised forces bypassed Chernihiv and moved towards Kyiv.[130] Luhansk Oblast governorSerhiy Haidai accused Russian forces of destroyingStanytsia Luhanska and Shchastia before capturing them, while Donetsk Oblast governorPavlo Kyrylenko also accused them of destroyingVolnovakha.[131]
The ISW said that Russian forces in northern Ukraine had likely begun an "operational pause" the previous day, to deploy additional forces and supplies; Russian military resources not previously part of the invasion force were being moved toward Ukraine in anticipation of a more difficult conflict than initially expected.[128]
Fighting took place around Mariupol throughout the night.[132] On the morning of 28 February, theUK defence ministry said that most Russian ground forces remained over 30 km (19 mi) north of Kyiv, having been slowed by Ukrainian resistance at Hostomel Airport. It also said that despite fighting near Chernihiv and Kharkiv, both cities remained under Ukrainian control.[133]Maxar Technologies released satellite images showing a Russian column, including tanks and self-propelled artillery, travelling toward Kyiv nearIvankiv.[134] The firm initially stated that the convoy was approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) long, but clarified later that day that the column was actually more than 64 kilometres (40 mi) in length.[134]
The Times reported that theWagner Group had been redeployed from Africa to Kyiv, with orders to assassinate Zelenskyy in the first days of the Russian invasion.[135]
Ukrainian advisor Arestovych stated that more than 200 Russian military vehicles had been destroyed or damaged on the highway between Irpin and Zhytomyr by 14:00EET.[136]Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, said that nine civilians were killed and 37 wounded by Russian shells.[137]Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, accused Russia of using avacuum bomb.[138]
Talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives inGomel, Belarus ended without a breakthrough.[139][140] As a condition for ending the invasion, Putin demanded Ukraine'sneutrality, "denazification" and "demilitarisation", and recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.[141]
Russia increased strikes on Ukrainian airfields and logistics centres, particularly in the west, apparently trying to ground the Ukrainian Air Force and disrupt resupply from the west. In the north, the ISW called the decision to use heavy artillery in Kharkiv "a dangerous inflection". Additional Russian forces and logistics columns in southern Belarus appeared to be manoeuvring to support a Kyiv assault.[142] An analyst with theRoyal United Services Institute stated that the Ukrainian regular army was no longer functioning in formations but in largely fixed defences, and was increasingly integrated withTerritorial Defense Forces and armed volunteers.[143]
A diplomatic crisis inGreece–Russia relations was sparked when Russian air forces bombarded Buhas andSartana near Mariupol, majority-populated byUkrainian Greeks, killing 12 Greeks.[144] Greece protested strongly, summoning the Russian ambassador. French PresidentEmmanuel Macron and US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken,[145] along with Germany[146] and other countries, expressed their condolences to Greece. Russian authorities denied responsibility, but Greek authorities stated that they had evidence of Russian involvement.[147] Greek prime ministerKyriakos Mitsotakis announced that his country would send defensive military equipment and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine.[148][149]
ASky News reporting team attempting to return to Kyiv came under fire from what Ukraine described as a Russian saboteur reconnaissance squad.Stuart Ramsay, a member of the team, was wounded in the lower back.[150][151][152]
The Ukrainian parliament stated that theArmed Forces of Belarus had joined Russia's invasion and were inChernihiv Oblast, northeast of the capital.UNIAN reported that a column of 33 military vehicles had entered the region. The US disagreed, saying that there was "no indication" that Belarus had invaded.[160] Hours prior, Belarus's President Lukashenko said that Belarus would not join the war.[161]
After Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it would hit targets to stop "information attacks", missiles struck broadcasting infrastructure for the primary television and radio transmitters in Kyiv, taking TV channels off the air.[162] Ukrainian officials said that the attack killed five people and damaged the nearbyBabyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Ukraine's main Holocaust memorial.[163][164]
The Ukrainian military reported a Russian paratrooper assault on northwest Kharkiv, where a military hospital came under attack.[167] Zhyvytskyi said that Russian forces had capturedTrostianets.[168]
Ukrainian advisor Arestovych said that Ukrainian forces had gone on the offensive for the first time, advancing onHorlivka, though it mostly proved inconsequential.[169] Russian troops captured the city of Kherson, beginning amilitary occupation of the city and oblast.[170]
The Bangladeshibulk carrierBanglar Samriddhi was struck by a missile at the port of Olvia inMykolaiv Oblast, setting it on fire and killing a Bangladeshi engineer.[173][174]
Ukrainska Pravda reported that a source in Ukrainian intelligence said thatViktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine with pro-Russia sympathies ousted following theRevolution of Dignity, was in Minsk, Belarus, and that Russia intended to declare him president when Russian forces gained control of Kyiv.[175][176] Other analysts said that Putin might put the pro-RussianViktor Medvedchuk in as president if Ukraine surrendered.[177]
Sergey Lavrov, the RussianMinister of Foreign Affairs, accused NATO and the EU of wanting to start a nuclear war and warned that "World War III would be nuclear and destructive".[178]
Russian troops inNovoaidar. The town was captured on 3 March 2022
During a second round of talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed to openhumanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians.[179] The Estonian cargo shipHelt sank after an explosion near Odesa; all six crew members aboard survived.[180][181]
TheRussian Defense Ministry stated it had capturedBalakliia.[184] Zelenskyy meanwhile asked for direct talks with Russian president Putin, "the only way to stop this war".[185] The United States said that about 90% of the Russian forces that had amassed around Ukraine before the invasion had entered the country.[186]
Zelenskyy also announced that the first international volunteers had arrived in Ukraine to fight against Russian forces. He added that Ukraine was regularly receiving weapons from Western countries.[187]
AtZaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a projectile hit the plant site, causing a localised fire in a building that did not contain reactors.[188][189][190] The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine reported no changes in radiation levels and officials reported that the fire was extinguished after several hours. Thetransformer of Unit 6 was also damaged.[191] After a battle that killed three Ukrainian soldiers, Russian troops occupied the power plant.[192] The representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense,Igor Konashenkov, said that the attack on the power plant was an attempted provocation by a Ukrainian sabotage group.[193] Secretary of theNational Security and Defense Council of UkraineOleksiy Danilov said that the shelling of the power plant was carried out by the Russians.[194]
NATO Secretary-GeneralJens Stoltenberg rejected Ukraine's request for ano-fly zone over the country, stating that this would lead to a full-fledged war with Russia.[195] The United States said that Russia had fired more than 500 missiles at Ukraine and theRussian Kyiv convoy north of Kyiv was 15 miles (24 km) away from the capital.[196]
Russian armed forces announced a ceasefire to allow around 200,000 civilians to evacuate Mariupol, which lacked water and electricity.[197] Soon after this, however, the ceasefire ended with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the breakdown.[198][199] Meanwhile, Arestovych stated that Russian troops had capturedBucha andHostomel.[200]
TheHavryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport was destroyed after being hit with Russian missile attacks during the day.[201] The Zhytomyr Armour Plant was destroyed in a Russian airstrike as well.[202] A second attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol was meanwhile scuttled.[203] A US defense official later stated that about 95% of the troops Russia had stationed around Ukraine before the start of the war were inside the country.[204]
The Hostomel City Council announced that mayorYuri Prilipko had been killed by Russian forces.[205] Oleksandr Markushin, the mayor of Irpin, was meanwhile reported captured.[206]
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that it would open six humanitarian corridors. The Ukrainian government criticised the announcement, since only two of them led to other Ukrainian territories, while the others led to Russia or Belarus.[211]
A US defense official stated that Russia had deployed nearly 100% of the forces it had amassed around Ukraine before the invasion and fired more than 625 missiles.[212]
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence claimed that it had killed RussianMajor GeneralVitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv.[213] He was found to be alive when he received theOrder of Alexander Nevsky on 23 May, dismissing claims of his death.[214] Later, BBC News Russian confirmed he was still alive.[215][216]
Okhtyrka City Council (Sumy Oblast) destroyed by overnight rocket strikes on 8 March
Another attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol was prevented, with the Ukrainian government accusing Russian forces of targeting the evacuation corridor.[218] However, civilians were able to evacuate from Sumy, the first such evacuation as part of an agreement between Ukraine and Russia on humanitarian corridors.[219]
Poland offered to transfer all its 23MiG-29 fighter jets to the United States for free and deliver them toRamstein Air Base in Germany, with the United States then delivering them to Ukraine. The US rejected the proposition, the Pentagon pronouncing Poland's proposal "not tenable".[220][221][222]Davyd Arakhamia, a Ukrainian negotiator in talks with Russia, stated that more than 40,000 civilians were evacuated from various cities during the day.[223]
Turkey hosted a tri-lateral meeting between foreign ministers inAntalya.Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign minister, described his meeting with Lavrov as difficult, and said it yielded no result.[224] The Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian forces would open humanitarian corridors everyday to Russia from 10:00.[225]
A senior US Defense Department official said that west of Kyiv, Russian military had advanced by about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) closer to central Kyiv, in the vicinity ofHostomel Airport. The column advancing from the east was meanwhile 40 kilometres away from Kyiv. He also said thatChernihiv was now "isolated".[226][227] Ukrainian forces ambushed a Russian column inBrovary Raion and forced it to retreat after destroying several tanks and killing a tank commander.[228][229]
The Russian convoy approaching Kyiv from the north had largely dispersed and redeployed, according toMaxar Technologies. UK's Ministry of Defence said that Russia was likely regrouping for an attack on Kyiv.[230]
According to Ukrainian officials, the mayor ofMelitopol,Ivan Fedorov, was abducted by Russian soldiers.[236] Elsewhere, a top Russian commander, Maj. Gen.Andrei Kolesnikov, was reported by Ukrainian officials to have been killed in action. Western officials believe that around 20 Russian major generals were taking a personal part in the invasion to motivate demoralized Russian troops.[237]
Fighting intensified during the day to the northeast and east of Kyiv.[238] TheUkrainian Air Force later said that Russia had conducted afalse flag operation to make the Armed Forces of Belarus enter the war, by using its jets to fire at the village of Kopani near Belarus'sborder with Ukraine from Ukrainian airspace.[239] It also stated that two other Belarusian settlements were attacked as well. TheBelarusian Ministry of Defence, however, stated that no such attack had occurred.[240]
Putin approved the deployment of up to 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East to Ukraine during the day, with theWagner Group already reported to have recruited more than 4,000 Syrians.[241] Fighters from theCentral African Republic also said that they were preparing to fight for Russia in Ukraine.[242]
A Russian tank also allegedly shelled a care home inKreminna, killing 56 residents.[243]
Heavy fighting occurred north of Kyiv and around other besieged cities during the day, while Ukrainian officials said that the clashes and Russian airstrikes were threatening civilian evacuations. Russian forces destroyedVasylkiv Air Base, and the Russian Defense Ministry also said that they had destroyed the main center of radio and electronic intelligence of Ukrainian forces inBrovary.[244][245][246]
Kuleba accused the Russian government of planning a stagedreferendum in Kherson to create a "Kherson People's Republic", run by a government sympathetic to Russia.[247] The forces of the DPR, meanwhile, capturedVolnovakha.[248]
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that Russia's advance had slowed down and had been stopped at many places. Deputy Prime MinisterIryna Vereshchuk, meanwhile, said that around 13,000 civilians were evacuated during the day.[249]
Russian forces bombed theYavoriv International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, a military base used by the Ukrainian military to hold most of their drills with NATO countries, with more than 30 missiles according toLviv Oblast's governorMaksym Kozytskyy. He later stated that 35 people had been killed and 134 were wounded, while the Russian Defense Ministry stated that up to 180 non-Ukrainian mercenaries were killed and many weapons supplied by other nations to Ukraine were destroyed. This was the westernmost strike carried out by Russia since the war began.[249][253] It also said that another Ukrainian military facility in Starichi was hit, while the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk stated that the city's airport was hit again.[249]
Heavy fighting was reported on multiple fronts during the day.[249] Ukraine said that it was counter-attacking in Kharkiv Oblast and around Mykolaiv, while the UK's Ministry of Defence stated that Russian forces were trying to isolate Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine and theRussian Navy had effectively established a blockade around Ukraine's Black Sea coastline, stopping its international maritime trade.[249]
Zelenskyy stated that nearly 125,000 civilians had been evacuated under the humanitarian corridor agreement, while Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reported progress in peace talks.[249] An American journalist,Brent Renaud, was shot dead in Irpin as a result of fire opened by Russian forces, according to the Kyiv police department.[254]
Denis Pushilin, head of the DPR, said they had downed a UkrainianTochka-U missile over Donetsk, but the city centre was struck by the missile's fragments. The Russian Defense Ministry said that 23 civilians were killed. The Ukrainian military however said that Russian forces were behind the attack.[258] In retaliation, the Russian Defence Ministry promised to take steps to destroy Ukraine's defence industry outfits.[259] It also said that Russia knew the locations of all "foreign mercenaries in Ukraine" and the Russian forces would continue to strike them with precision.[260]
A Russian missile strike hit a transmission tower in the village of Antopi inRivne Oblast, according to oblast governorVitaliy Koval.[261] Koval later stated that 21 civilians were killed and nine were wounded.[262]Dnipro Oblast governorValentyn Reznichenko stated that Russian bombardment of theDnipro International Airport destroyed its runway and damaged the terminal.[263] Civilians were able to evacuate Mariupol for the first time.[264]
A senior US Department of Defence official stated that Russia's advance had been stalled on almost all fronts, but it did not seem that it would stop its attacks.[265] TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that over 40,000 Syrians had registered to fight for Russia in Ukraine. It added that recruitment notices had been sent out toAl-Katerji militia, which had acted as an intermediary between the Syrian government and theIslamic State group in the past.[266]
16-story residential building in Kyiv after shelling on 15 March
The Russian Defense Ministry stated on 15 March that Russian forces had taken complete control ofKherson Oblast and had shot down sixBayraktar TB2 drones in the previous 24 hours.[267] Russianlanding ships approached the coast of Odesa.[268]
TheU.S. Embassy in Kyiv reported that Russian forces had shot and killed 10 people queuing up for bread in Chernihiv, though it provided no evidence. Videos were later posted by others on social media showing the purported aftermath.[271]
Ukraine later announced its forces had begun a counter-offensive to repel Russian forces approachingKyiv, with fighting inBucha,Hostomel, andIrpin. Additionally, Ukrainian forces also started an offensive nearMykolaiv towardsKherson.[272]
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, later reported that Russian forces had released Melitopol's mayor, Ivan Fedorov.[273] Theregional drama theater in Mariupol, sheltering around 1,000 civilians, wasbombed later that day.[274] In two places outside the theatre, the word "дети" (Russian for "children") was spelled out in an attempt to identify it to invading forces as a civilian air raid shelter containing children, and not a military target.[275]
Russian artillery hit a Ukrainian military barracks in Mykolaiv, where around 200 soldiers were stationed. Only one survivor was pulled from the rubble the next day; temperatures fell below −6 °C (21 °F) during the night.[279]
In northernPoltava Oblast, local hunters reported that they had captured more than 10 Russian tanks and turned them over to the Ukrainian Army.[280]
Around 11 p.m., the Kyiv shopping center Retroville, inPodilskyi district, was hit by a RussianKalibr missile. Russia claimed that the shopping center was storing equipment for Ukrainian forces. The attack resulted in at least 8 deaths.[284][285][286][287]
The Ukrainian state agency responsible for theChernobyl exclusion zone reported that Russian forces had destroyed a new laboratory at theChernobyl nuclear power plant. The laboratory, which opened in 2015, worked to improve the management ofradioactive waste, among other things. "The laboratory contained highly active samples and samples ofradionuclides that are now in the hands of the enemy, which we hope will harm itself and not the civilized world", the agency said in its statement.[290]
A senior US defence official said that Ukrainian forces had pushed Russian forces back on the frontlines east of Kyiv. The official added that Russian forces were becoming more active in the eastern part of Ukraine in the Donbas area, saying they were "applying a lot more energy" in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.[291]
An explosion occurred on board theRussian Navy'sSaratov[292]Alligator-class landing ship while the vessel was berthed inBerdiansk.[293] Ukrainian forces stated that they hit the ship with aTochka ballistic missile, but the cause of the explosion is yet to be verified.[294] The two other landing ships accompanying the vessel quickly left the port, one of them on fire, and it is currently unknown whether they sustained any damage.
Representative of the Russian Ministry of DefenseIgor Konashenkov stated that the city ofIzium was completely under the control of the Russian army.[295] This was later denied by Ukrainian officials.[296]
Ukrainian forces mounted counterattacks on Kyiv's eastern approaches, recapturing some defensive positions and settlements such asLukyanivka. Just northwest of the capital, thefighting for Irpin continued, most of the town remaining in Ukrainian hands amid sustained Russian artillery fire.[298] Russian forces took over the city ofSlavutych north of Kyiv, close to theChernobyl nuclear site.[299] A Ukrainian airstrike on a command post of the49th Russian Army in theChornobaivka airfield inKherson Raion killed the Russian generalYakov Rezantsev.[300] Ukrainians began a counterattack east of the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine's northeast.[301]
The Russians continued to target military and civilian infrastructure in a bombing campaign, hitting theUkrainian Air Force command center inVinnytsia in west-central Ukraine.[302] Colonel GeneralSergey Rudskoy [ru], first deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, stated in a media briefing that the "first stage" of Russia's military operation was complete, and that their primary focus was now centered on "the liberation of Donbas".[303]
In the ongoingbattle of Kyiv, suburbs to the west and east of the capital, including Маkariv, Bucha, Irpin, andBilohorodka, continued to be shelled by the Russian military and in some areas, such as Bucha andNemishaieve, Russian forces were digging in.[304] After tense street protests by locals in the occupied city ofSlavutych, north of Kyiv, the Russian military agreed to withdraw provided there were no Ukrainian soldiers in the city, but set up a checkpoint outside Slavutych.[299]
The Ukrainian military reported that they recaptured the city ofTrostianets[305] – strategically located between the larger settlements of Sumy and Kharkiv – and the villages ofPoltavka [uk] andMalynivka east ofHuliaipole inZaporizhzhia Oblast.[306] A Ukrainian counterattack also continued east of the city of Kharkiv, leading to the recovery of several settlements, such as the heavily contested village ofVilkhivka.[307]
Fire at a fuel storage depot in Lviv after missile strikes, 26–27 March
Russian missile strikes also targeted industrial and military facilities, including fuel storage depots and a radio repair plant inLviv, western Ukraine, hitting the city for the first time in the invasion.[309][310]
Biden's speech in Warsaw.
The attack coincided with US President Biden delivering a speech inWarsaw, the capital of neighboring Poland, in which he pledged continued support to Ukraine and said President Putin could not "remain in power". The White House later clarified that it was not a call for aregime change.[311]
Anatoly Bibilov, the Russian-backed leader ofGeorgia's breakaway state ofSouth Ossetia, confirmed that local forces had joined Russian troops transferred from the region to Ukraine.[312]
Russian military continued missile strikes across Ukraine including the cities ofLutsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr andRivne, while Mariupol was again subjected to sustained shelling. Ukraine's defense officials reported that the Russian forces – their ground offensive largely stalled – were attempting to regroup and establish a "corridor" around Kyiv to block supply routes to the capital.[313] The Ukrainian military stated on 28 March that four Russian planes, one helicopter, two drones, and two cruise missiles were downed during the previous 24 hours.[314]
The Ukrainian army continued its counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border, claiming full control ofMala Rohan and much of Vilkhivka.[315] According to the Ukrainian military, the Russians largely abandoned their advance in the Sumy region, but regrouped and counterattacked at Izium.[316] The pro-Russian forces of the Luhansk People's Republic reported that the Ukrainian military lost 60 men, six tanks, and three armored personnel carriers in the region on 27 March.[317]
The Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Brigadier GeneralKyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia's efforts to overthrow the Ukrainian government had failed and that Putin was now trying to split Ukraine per the "Korean scenario".[313] Zelenskyy said in an interview with Russian independent journalists that his government was ready to accept a neutral, non-nuclear status as part of a peace deal with Russia, but that any agreement would require approval in a nationwide referendum.[318]
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that Russian forces were regrouping to advance towards Donetsk and Luhansk, partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists, while bringing more warships in the Black and Azov seas closer to the coastline, probably to carry out more missile strikes in Ukraine.[319] On the Kyiv front, the western suburbs of Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, and Makariv, as well as the route from and to the city of Zhytomyr to the west, and areas north of Vyshhorod remained subject to Russian shelling.[320] Later on 28 March, Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn announced that the city of Irpin had been fully retaken by the Ukrainian forces.[321]
Heavy fighting continued in Mariupol, where the Ukrainian forces resisted the Russian offensive into the city's centre. Ukrainian officials accused the Russian military of forcibly deporting local civilians, including children, to Russia.[320][322] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine described the besieged city as turned into "dust" by the Russian military.[323] The mayor of Mariupol,Vadym Boychenko, called for a complete evacuation of the remaining population of the city.[320]
Russia's Defence Ministry said on 29 March that it had destroyed a large fuel depot in Ukraine's Rivne region with cruise missiles on the evening of 28 March.[324]
Mykolaiv Regional State Administration after a rocket strike
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met inIstanbul for a new round of in-person talks. Ahead of the meetingTurkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Ukraine was ready to agree to 4 out of Russia's 6 demands.[325] He claimed Ukraine was prepared to renounceNATO membership and to make Russian Ukraine's second official language.[325] According to Erdoğan Ukraine was not prepared to recognise the Russian occupation of Crimea or parts of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts.[325] Ukraine proposed adopting a neutral status in exchange for security guarantees along the lines ofNATO Article 5. The proposals also included a 15-year consultation period on the status of Russian-annexed Crimea and return of all Russian forces to their pre-invasion positions.[326] Russia's Ministry of Defense announced "drastic reduction of military activity" on the Kyiv and Chernihiv fronts, which, Russian presidential aideVladimir Medinsky clarified, was not tantamount to a ceasefire.[327][328] TheUnited States Department of Defense cautioned that an observed movement of elements of the Russian army away from Kyiv was likely "a repositioning, not a real withdrawal".[329] In a televised meeting with military bloggers on 13 June 2023 Russian PresidentVladimir Putin claimed that Russia and Ukraine had on this day came to "a good agreement on how to resolve the current situation by peaceful means" but that the Ukrainians had "threw it away" afterthe withdrawal of Russian troops fromKyiv after the (failed)Russian 2022 offensive on Kyiv.[330] According to Putin Ukraine had agreed to curbNeo-Nazism in Ukraine through the "introducing appropriate restrictions in the law in Ukraine", but this had failed to happen intentionally.[330] On 14 June 2023President of BelarusAlexander Lukashenko claimed, in an interview withRussia-1, that Ukrainian and Russian delegations had discussed the possibility of "some sort of a lease" of Crimea during the March 2022 negotiations.[325]
Despite the negotiations, airstrikes and ground fighting continued unabated. The Ukrainian military reported they were holding back Russian invasion forces in the east, southeast, and northeast, counterattacking in certain areas.[331] Intense fighting occurred around the suburbs of Kyiv, especially in the northwest and northeast of the capital.[328] ARussian airstrike hit a regional government building in Mykolaiv, killing at least 35 and wounding 33 others.[328][332]
Local officials reported a series of explosions outside the Russian city ofBelgorod, near the border with Ukraine. According toTASS, a temporary Russian military camp was hit by a shell fired from the Ukrainian side, wounding at least four.[333]
Russian military continued to state that de-escalation around Kyiv and Chernihiv for a "planned regrouping of troops" was underway in order to focus on the Donbas region.[334] The Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated they had not noticed any massive withdrawal of the Russian forces, but individual units were being pulled back to replenish the heavy losses they had suffered.[335] In the meantime, heavy fighting and shelling continued in the outskirts of Kyiv, including around Irpin.[336] Local officials also reported heavy shelling of Chernihiv[337] as well as the Ukrainian-controlled areas in the Donbas region, includingMariupol,Marinka,Krasnohorivka,Avdiivka,Lysychansk and other settlements.[338]
The Russian military increased their number of air sorties, their airstrikes principally focused on the areas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Izium to the south of Kharkiv, and the Donbas region.[339] According to Ukraine's state nuclear companyEnergoatom, most of the Russian troops had withdrawn from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant towards the border.[340] A US defense official also reported that Russian forces had been drawing down in the areas north and northwest of Kyiv, including theHostomel Airport.[341] Ukrainian forces continued to stage counterattacks in some areas, reclaiming the settlements ofZatyshshia,Malynivka, Vesele, Zelenyi Hai andChervone in the Zaporizhzhia region and Sloboda and Lukashivka in the Chernihiv region.[342] Russian forces said that they had captured Zolota Nyva in the Donetsk region and Zhitlovka in the Luhansk region.[343]
TheInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that a humanitarian convoy was on its way to deliver aid supplies and evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol.[344] Deputy Prime Minister Vereshchuk later said that twelve Ukrainian trucks were able to deliver humanitarian supplies to Mariupol, but the supplies were seized by Russian troops.[345]
The governor ofBelgorod Oblast,Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that two UkrainianMi-24 military helicopters had struck a fuel storage depot in the city ofBelgorod on 31 March after crossing into Russia at low altitude. Security camera footage of the depot showed a flash of light from what appeared to be a rocket fired from a low altitude in the sky, followed by an explosion on the ground.[346]
The Ukrainian military confirmed thatIzium was under Russian control.[347][348][349]
Russian missiles hit the cities ofPoltava andKremenchuk in central Ukraine, damaging infrastructure and residential buildings, the head of thePoltava region,Dmytro Lunin said that at least four missiles hit two infrastructure objects in Poltava while, according to preliminary information, three enemy planes attacked the industrial facilities of Kremenchuk. He also added that there was no immediate information about possible casualties. However, neither of these incidents could immediately be verified.[350]
The Kyiv offensive fell apart several days after Russia said it would withdraw some troops from the north. The Russians retreated all the way back to Chernobyl.[351] Ukraine's deputy defence minister,Hanna Maliar, later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had retaken control of all of Kyiv Oblast.[352][353]
Corpses were found inBucha from theBucha massacre. At least 20 dead Ukrainian civilians were seen by reporters and, according to Bucha's mayor, 280 bodies were buried in mass graves.[354]Human Rights Watch reportedwar crimes in the occupied areas of Ukraine — executions, rape, torture, and lootings.[355]
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Lithuanian film directorMantas Kvedaravičius was shot and killed in Mariupol while trying to escape.[356]
'Shock and Heartbreak After Ukraine Retakes Kyiv Region" - video from VOA news
Zelenskyy accused Russia ofgenocide and said that sanctions from the west were not "enough" to respond to Russia's actions. The United States began pushing to suspend Russia from theUnited Nations Human Rights Council. Putin signed a decree restricting visas for nationals of countries deemed "unfriendly" to Russia.[357]
Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating afalse flag in Bucha, calling the photos and videos a "staged performance."[358] Biden called for Putin to be tried for war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Bucha.[359]
Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk, said that a Russian strike had hit a tank containingnitric acid near Rubizhne,[360] which the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had been trying to take. However, this could not be verified independently.[361]
Zelenskyy addressed theUnited Nations Security Council regarding events in Bucha.[362] Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov said that Russia was not opposed to a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, but such a meeting would only be held if a document was agreed upon beforehand.[363]
Pope Francis criticized the "impotence" of international organizations failing to stop the invasion.[364]
Russian artillery fire killed at least four people and wounded four others at a humanitarian aid distribution point on Wednesday as Russian forces bombarded towns, cities and rail infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, local officials said. Later,Ukrainian Railways reported there were a number of casualties after three rockets hit an unspecified rail station in the east, without giving further details.[365]
Missiles destroyed fuel storage facilities in Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Chuhuiv, according to the Russian defense ministry, which also stated that Ukraine used the facilities to supply its troops near Mykolaiv and Kharkiv and in the Donbas region.[366][367]
Zelenskyy told theGreek Parliament that Ukraine needed more anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems, ammunition, and armored vehicles. InBrussels, Ukrainian Foreign MinisterDmytro Kuleba asked NATO for "weapons, weapons, and weapons." TheUnited States Congress began passing a bill that would make it easier to send weapons to Ukraine.[368]
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that Russia had suffered significant losses and called the casualties a "tragedy".[370]
By 7 April, Russian troops deployed to the northern front by the RussianEastern Military District pulled back from the Kyiv offensive, apparently to resupply then redeploy to the Donbas region to reinforce the renewed invasion of southeastern Ukraine.
Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, governor of Sumy Oblast, said that all Russian troops had left the region, but it was still unsafe due to rigged explosives and other ammunition Russian troops had left behind.[371]
^Sangal, Aditi; Vogt, Adrienne; Woodyatt, Amy; Picheta, Rob; Upright, Ed; Yeung, Jessie; Renton, Adam; Macaya, Melissa; Wagner, Meg (25 February 2022)."Heavy fighting reported to the south of Kyiv". CNN.Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved25 February 2022.
^Vogt, Adrienne; Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Ravindran, Jeevan; Wilkinson, Peter; Yeung, Jessie; Lendon, Brad; George, Steve; Wagner, Meg; Vera, Amir (26 February 2022)."Russian aircraft banned from German airspace". CNN.Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved27 February 2022.
^Clark, Mason; Barros, George; Stepanenko, Kateryna (18 March 2022)."Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 18". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved20 March 2022.A Senior US Defense Official reportedly claimed that Russian forces took control of Izyum on March 17, though either the statement itself or media reporting was incorrect.
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