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==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
Shortly after Kherson was captured, the Russian Ministry of Defence said talks between Russian forces and city administrators regarding maintaining order were underway. An agreement was reached in which the Ukrainian flag would still be hoisted in the city while Russia established the new administration. Mayor Igor Kolykhayev announced new conditions for the city's residents, such as citizens only being allowed outside during daytime and forbidden to gather in groups, and cars only being allowed to enter the city to supply food and medicine; these vehicles were to drive at minimum speeds and were subject to searches. Citizens were warned to not provoke Russian soldiers and obey any commands given.<ref name="falls2"/> On 5 March, Kolykhayev said there was no armed resistance in the city and Russian troops were "quite settled". He requested humanitarian assistance, saying "production, critical infrastructure has been suspended. The city is without power and without water" and "We have cancer patients, children who need medication. This medication is not currently getting through to them."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-05-22/h_b2041ef371d34bf604cf9cddea236bde|title=Kherson has no more armed resistance against Russia forces, mayor tells CNN|date=5 March 2022}}</ref>
Shortly after Kherson was captured, the Russian Ministry of Defence said talks between Russian forces and city administrators regarding maintaining order were underway. An agreement was reached in which the Ukrainian flag would still be hoisted in the city while Russia established the new administration. Mayor Igor Kolykhayev announced new conditions for the city's residents, such as citizens only being allowed outside during daytime and forbidden to gather in groups, and cars only being allowed to enter the city to supply food and medicine; these vehicles were to drive at minimum speeds and were subject to searches. Citizens were warned to not provoke Russian soldiers and obey any commands given.<ref name="falls2"/> On 5 March, Kolykhayev said there was no armed resistance in the city and Russian troops were "quite settled". He requested humanitarian assistance, saying "production, critical infrastructure has been suspended. The city is without power and without water" and "We have cancer patients, children who need medication. This medication is not currently getting through to them."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-05-22/h_b2041ef371d34bf604cf9cddea236bde|title=Kherson has no more armed resistance against Russia forces, mayor tells CNN|date=5 March 2022}}</ref> Meanwhile, around 2,000 protesters marched in the city centre waving Ukrainian flags, singing the national anthem, and chanting patriotic slogans. Russian troops reportedly shot into the air to deter the approaching crowd. Some locals claimed the Russians had a list of Ukrainian activists they wanted to capture.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60632587|work=BBC|title=War in Ukraine: Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers|date=5 March 2022}}</ref>


On 3 March, unverified reports of Russian soldiers committing [[Wartime sexual violence|war rape]] in Kherson began to emerge in Ukrainian media. Ukrainian outlet [[Rubryka]] cited local sources, including a purported doctor of the Karabelesh polyclinic, as alleging that 11 cases of rape had occurred, of which only 5 of the victims survived. Svetlana Zorina, a 27-year-old resident of Kherson that was interviewed by [[CNN]], accused Russian soldiers of raping local women, saying "They already started to rape our women. There was information from people that I personally know that a 17-year-old girl — it happened to her and then they killed her." The claims were not independently verified.<ref>{{cite news|work=Rubryka|title=Kherson: Girls are asked to stay at home and not go outside. There are rape cases|url=https://rubryka.com/en/2022/03/03/herson-divchat-prosyat-zalyshatysya-vdoma-i-ne-vyhodyty-na-vulytsi-ye-fakty-nasyllya/|date=3 March 2022|access-date=4 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2022/03/04/ukrainian-woman-svetlana-zorina-claims-russian-troops-raping-women-in-occupied-city-of-kherson/|work=New York Post|title=Ukrainian woman claims Russian troops raping women in Kherson|last=Steinbuch|first=Yaron|date=4 March 2022}}</ref>
On 3 March, unverified reports of Russian soldiers committing [[Wartime sexual violence|war rape]] in Kherson began to emerge in Ukrainian media. Ukrainian outlet [[Rubryka]] cited local sources, including a purported doctor of the Karabelesh polyclinic, as alleging that 11 cases of rape had occurred, of which only 5 of the victims survived. Svetlana Zorina, a 27-year-old resident of Kherson that was interviewed by [[CNN]], accused Russian soldiers of raping local women, saying "They already started to rape our women. There was information from people that I personally know that a 17-year-old girl — it happened to her and then they killed her." The claims were not independently verified.<ref>{{cite news|work=Rubryka|title=Kherson: Girls are asked to stay at home and not go outside. There are rape cases|url=https://rubryka.com/en/2022/03/03/herson-divchat-prosyat-zalyshatysya-vdoma-i-ne-vyhodyty-na-vulytsi-ye-fakty-nasyllya/|date=3 March 2022|access-date=4 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2022/03/04/ukrainian-woman-svetlana-zorina-claims-russian-troops-raping-women-in-occupied-city-of-kherson/|work=New York Post|title=Ukrainian woman claims Russian troops raping women in Kherson|last=Steinbuch|first=Yaron|date=4 March 2022}}</ref>

Revision as of 21:53, 5 March 2022

Battle of Kherson
Part of the Kherson offensive and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.svg
Date24 February – 2 March 2022 (6 days)
Location
Kherson, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine
Result Russian victory[1]
Belligerents
Russia Russia Ukraine Ukraine
Units involved

Russian Armed Forces

Russian Airborne Forces

Ukrainian Armed Forces
Casualties and losses
Per Ukraine:
Heavy[4]		 Per Ukraine: ~300 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians killed[1]

The Battle of Kherson was a military engagement between Russian and Ukrainian forces which began on 24 February 2022, as part of the Kherson offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kherson was the first major Ukrainian city captured by Russian forces during the Kherson offensive.[1]

Battle

February

The Antonovskiy Bridge in 2006

Russian forces invaded Kherson Oblast from the south through Crimea on 24 February, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying "Our troops are fighting fierce battles near the outskirts of Kherson, the enemy is pressing from the occupied Crimea, trying to advance towards Melitopol."[5] By the evening of 24 February, Russian forces reached the city of Kherson and had secured the Antonovskiy Bridge,[6][7] which provides a strategic crossing over the Dnieper River and towards the important junction city of Mykolaiv.[8]

By the early hours of 25 February, Ukrainian forces recaptured the bridge in a battle that was described as fierce and left dead soldiers as well as several destroyed military vehicles lying on the bridge.[7][9][10] The counterattack forced the Russians to push north and capture the next closest crossing of the Dnieper, the city of Nova Kakhovka.[11][12] Russian troops once again seized the Antonovskiy Bridge later in the day.[4]

On 26 February, according to mayor Ihor Kolykhaiev, Russian troops pulled back from Kherson after a Ukrainian air strike on their armored vehicles, allowing the city to remain under Ukrainian control.[13][14] A Ukrainian official, Anton Herashchenko, later claimed that a Russian army column "between Radensk and Oleshky", south of Kherson, was defeated by Ukrainian forces, with the survivors purportedly fleeing "into the woods".[15] Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, claimed that Russian forces killed a journalist near the village of Zelenivka, a northern suburb of Kherson, and an ambulance driver along a highway in the region. Venediktova said Ukrainian law enforcement had opened criminal proceedings into the shootings.[16]

On the morning of 27 February, the Russian Ministry of Defence stated that Russian forces had encircled Kherson and, according to Ukrainian officials, captured a part of the city, including Kherson International Airport.[17][18][19] Later in the morning, the Ukrainian Air Force allegedly conducted a successful drone strike against Russian forces in the village of Chornobayivka, just to the north of Kherson.[20]

Ukrainian officials alleged that beginning on 27 February, Russian forces began moving civilians from nearby villages towards Kherson, in what they claim was an attempt by the Russians to use civilians as human shields.[21]

March

In the early morning of 1 March, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had launched a renewed assault on Kherson and were advancing from Kherson International Airport to the highway between Kherson and Mykolaiv. While conducting heavy shelling,[22] Russian forces managed to surround the city and reach the highway, advancing up to the village of Komyshany before establishing a checkpoint.[23] Russian forces entered Kherson later in the day.[24] Mayor Igor Kolykhayev described the impact on citizens in the city, saying many remained in their homes and in bomb shelters, and said schools, the Fabrika shopping mall, and high rise buildings were damaged by the fighting and residential buildings were fired upon. Kolykhayev claimed that, on 1 March, Russian troops opened fire on citizens armed with Molotov cocktails attempting to stop a convoy on Naftovykiv Street.[25] In the early morning of 2 March, it was reported that Russian troops managed to seize a railway station and a river port.[25] Later in the morning, Russian forces were seen at Svobody Square in central Kherson, where the Kherson Regional Administration building is located.[22] The Russian Ministry of Defense later claimed to have captured the city,[26] while Ukrainian and American officials denied the claim and stated that fighting continued.[27][28]

Later on 2 March, a group of around ten Russian soldiers, including a commander, entered the city council building and began negotiations with Kolykhaiev. In the evening, Kolykhaiev confirmed he had surrendered the city and that the Russian commander expressed plans to set up a military administration. Kolykhaiev acknowledged the Ukrainian military was no longer present in Kherson, and another official stated the Russian military was in all parts of the city. According to Kolykhaiev, the battle led to the deaths of around 300 Ukrainian civilians and soldiers, and there was severe destruction of city infrastructure and "limited water and little food". Kolykhaiev said many of the deceased were buried in mass graves by volunteers, as much of their remains were unrecognizable.[1][29]

Aftermath

Shortly after Kherson was captured, the Russian Ministry of Defence said talks between Russian forces and city administrators regarding maintaining order were underway. An agreement was reached in which the Ukrainian flag would still be hoisted in the city while Russia established the new administration. Mayor Igor Kolykhayev announced new conditions for the city's residents, such as citizens only being allowed outside during daytime and forbidden to gather in groups, and cars only being allowed to enter the city to supply food and medicine; these vehicles were to drive at minimum speeds and were subject to searches. Citizens were warned to not provoke Russian soldiers and obey any commands given.[29] On 5 March, Kolykhayev said there was no armed resistance in the city and Russian troops were "quite settled". He requested humanitarian assistance, saying "production, critical infrastructure has been suspended. The city is without power and without water" and "We have cancer patients, children who need medication. This medication is not currently getting through to them."[30] Meanwhile, around 2,000 protesters marched in the city centre waving Ukrainian flags, singing the national anthem, and chanting patriotic slogans. Russian troops reportedly shot into the air to deter the approaching crowd. Some locals claimed the Russians had a list of Ukrainian activists they wanted to capture.[31]

On 3 March, unverified reports of Russian soldiers committing war rape in Kherson began to emerge in Ukrainian media. Ukrainian outlet Rubryka cited local sources, including a purported doctor of the Karabelesh polyclinic, as alleging that 11 cases of rape had occurred, of which only 5 of the victims survived. Svetlana Zorina, a 27-year-old resident of Kherson that was interviewed by CNN, accused Russian soldiers of raping local women, saying "They already started to rape our women. There was information from people that I personally know that a 17-year-old girl — it happened to her and then they killed her." The claims were not independently verified.[32][33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Schwirtz, Michael; Pérez-Peña, Richard (2 March 2022). "First Ukraine City Falls as Russia Strikes More Civilian Targets". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 25, 2022". Critical Threats. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 25, 2022". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Ukraine loses control over crossing to Kherson". www.ukrinform.net. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Most Problematic Situation In South, Fierce Battles Taking Place Near Kherson – Zelenskyy". ukranews_com. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. ^ Schwirtz, Michael; Schmitt, Eric; MacFarquhar, Neil (25 February 2022). "Russia Batters Ukraine With Artillery Strikes as West Condemns Invasion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Battle rages for strategic bridge in southern Ukraine after days of fighting". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Російські війська хочуть прорватися до Миколаєва, йдуть бої в околицях Чернігова". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Імовірність прориву на Миколаїв знизилася: військові відстояли Антонівський міст". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  10. ^ Video: See aftermath of battle over key bridge in Ukraine – CNN Video, archived from the original on 26 February 2022, retrieved 25 February 2022
  11. ^ desk, The Kyiv Independent news (24 February 2022). "Russian troops moving towards town of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast". The Kyiv Independent. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ "Soldiers Raise the Russian Flag Over Ukraine Power Plant". GreekReporter.com. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  13. ^ "The Kyiv Independent". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Херсон наш: на линии вышли троллейбусы, водоснабжение в обычном режиме, в бомбоубежищах родились двое малышей | Новости Одессы". dumskaya.net. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Column of Russian occupiers defeated in Kherson region – Interior Ministry". www.ukrinform.net. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Journalist shot dead by Russian occupiers in Kherson Region". www.ukrinform.net. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Russia claims to have besieged Ukraine's Kherson, Berdyansk". Daily Sabah. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  18. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (27 February 2022). "Russian forces advance on Kyiv: fighting on fourth day of invasion". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Russia says it "blocks" Ukraine's Kherson, Berdyansk – RIA". Reuters. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  20. ^ CNN (28 February 2022). "Ukraine's Air Force claims successful drone strike on Russian forces near Kherson". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ "Russian invaders plan to use Kherson residents as human shield". www.ukrinform.net. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  22. ^ a b "Russian military vehicles seen across Kherson after heavy shelling". CNN. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  23. ^ Tamila Ivanova (1 March 2022). "Шостий день вторгнення РФ: ситуація на Херсонщині. ТЕКСТОВА ТРАНСЛЯЦІЯ". Suspline (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  24. ^ Reuters (1 March 2022). "Russian forces have entered Kherson, says Ukrainian official". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  25. ^ a b Eugene Shaporenko (2 March 2022). "У Херсоні ворог захопив залізничний вокзал та річковий порт". Fakty i Kommentarii (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Russia says it captures Ukrainian city of Kherson -RIA". Reuters. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Ukrainians say they are fighting on in southern city of Kherson". Reuters. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  28. ^ "Russia pounds Ukrainian cities as advances stall, draws UN censure". Reuters. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  29. ^ a b James, Liam (3 March 2022). "Russian claims it has seized Kherson as city's mayor agrees to curfew". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  30. ^ "Kherson has no more armed resistance against Russia forces, mayor tells CNN". 5 March 2022.
  31. ^ "War in Ukraine: Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers". BBC. 5 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Kherson: Girls are asked to stay at home and not go outside. There are rape cases". Rubryka. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  33. ^ Steinbuch, Yaron (4 March 2022). "Ukrainian woman claims Russian troops raping women in Kherson". New York Post.
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