Battle of Davydiv Brid
Battle of Davydiv Brid | |||||||
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Part of the southern Ukraine offensive in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | |||||||
Map of combat operations in the vicinity of Davydiv Brid on 17 June 2022 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
Unknown | 5th Tank Brigade |
The battle of Davydiv Brid was a Ukrainian counter-offensive operation during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In reaction to Russia's southern Ukraine offensive, Ukrainian forces attempted to recapture part of the Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast and tie up Russian resources. The counter-offensive began on 27 May 2022 and was centered near the village of Davydiv Brid, which was recaptured by Ukraine. However the actual status of control is unclear.
Background
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, in a steep escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which had begun in 2014. The invasion caused Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II,[2][3] with more than 6.5 million Ukrainians fleeing the country[4] and a third of the population displaced.[5][6] From February 24 to March 1, Russian forces took most of the Kherson Oblast, including the cities of Berdiansk and Melitopol.[7][8]
On 2 March, Russian forces captured Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to be occupied by Russia during the invasion.[9][10][11][12] In March, Russian troops tried to break through the Mykolaiv Oblast, but they were repulsed by the beginning of April.[13][14] After the victory of Ukrainian forces in the town of Mykolaiv, the Kherson–Mykolaiv front began to stall.
Battle
On the afternoon of May 27, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in the Kherson Oblast near Davydiv Brid.[15] Ukrainian formations, led by the 5th Tank Brigade, with the support of American-made M777 howitzers, crossed the Inhulets River during the night of 27/28 May around Davydiv Brid, 50 miles northeast of Kherson. The Russians retreated from Davydiv Brid to three towns a few miles southwest, whose defense the Ukrainian General Staff described as "unfavorable."[15] The following day new reports confirmed that Ukrainian forces carried out a successful limited counterattack, forcing Russian forces on the defensive. This Ukrainian counterattack was probably aimed at disrupting Russia's efforts to establish strong defensive positions along the southern axis and to further slow Russia's efforts to consolidate administrative control over occupied southern Ukraine.[16]
On 31 May, satellite imagery showed that Russian troops had withdrawn from Davydiv Brid and set up positions at locations around the town in the previous few days. It was not clear at the time whether Ukrainian troops had entered the town or had positions near Andriivka and Bilohirka. However, in the evening of the same day, the fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces escalated. On the night between May 31 and 1 June, Ukrainian sources announced that Ukrainian forces had captured the town of Davydiv Brid.[17][16][18]
Fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces for Davydiv Brid continued in the first half of June with neither side able to assume full control. Artillery strikes became commonplace on both sides. The Ukrainian counter-offensive on Davydiv Brid was followed by a series of partisan actions by pro-Ukrainian activists, which led to intensified actions by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Kherson region.[19]
On 13 June, Ukrainian forces were still reported to be engaged in heavy fighting with Russian forces near Davydiv Brid. Ukrainian commanders claimed their forces gradually forced Russian troops back and were testing their second and third lines of defense.[20] Artillery duels over the river continued between 17 and 21 June, with the ISW reporting Russian forces had pushed back Ukrainian troops sometime before 17 June.[1] Still, on 5 July, ISW reported that Ukrainian forces retained control of some territory in the area, although precise boundaries were unclear.[21]
See also
References
- ^ a b "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JUNE 21". 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Blake, Daniel Keane, Elly (15 March 2022). "What is the Homes for Ukraine refugees scheme and how do you apply?". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Pita, Antonio; Costa, Raúl Sánchez (3 March 2022). "Ukrainian exodus could be Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II". El Pais. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Situation Ukraine Refugee Situation". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ Ratcliffe, Rebecca; Clayton, Abené; Gabbatt, Adam; Chao-Fong, Léonie; Lock, Samantha; Ambrose, Tom (19 March 2022). "Biden outlines 'consequences' if China aids Russia – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
{{cite news}}
:|archive-date=
/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; 29 March 2022 suggested (help) - ^ "Ukraine war: Putin being misled by fearful advisers, US says". BBC News. 31 March 2022. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Marina Korobova (1 March 2022). ""Мелитополь не сдался, Мелитополь – временно оккупирован" – городской голова о ситуации на 1 марта". Mestnyye Vesti (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "Some Russians surrender but situation remains grave - US". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "Russian forces have entered Kherson, says Ukrainian official". Reuters. 2022-03-01. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Schwirtz, Michael; Pérez-Peña, Richard (2022-03-02). "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 2022-03-03.
- ^ James, Liam (2022-03-03). "Russian claims it has seized Kherson as city's mayor agrees to curfew". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
- ^ "Practically no invaders left in Mykolayiv region – head of administration". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "Ukraine says five killed in shelling in city of Mykolaiv". reuters.com. 16 April 2022.
- ^ a b Axe, David (28 May 2022). "Ukraine has launched its southern counteroffensive". Forbes.
- ^ a b Karolina Hird; Mason Clark; George Barros (2022-05-29). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 29". understandingwar.org. ISW. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
The Ukrainian General Staff noted that Russian forces are attempting to recapture positions in Andriivka, Bilohirka, and Bila Krynytsia, indicating the Ukrainian counteroffensive south of Davydiv Brid recaptured these positions on the Kherson-Mykolaiv border on May 28.
- ^ "Invaders mining Inhulets River coast to hold off Ukrainian troops". ukrinform.net. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
"In the Southern Buh direction, the enemy is defending and mining the coast of the Inhulets River in areas where units of our troops may be operating. It is also engaged in counter-battery combat, inflicting air strikes with the involvement of army aircraft in the area of the settlement of Davydiv Brid, Kherson region," the statement reads.
- ^ Розподіл населення за рідною мовою на ukrcensus.gov.ua
- ^ In Kherson, misery under Russian occupation, hope over Ukrainian gains
- ^ "Is Ukraine Losing the War? Depends on How You Look at It".
- ^ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 5".