Jump to content

Southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Page extended-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Further information: Siege of Mariupol, Battle of Enerhodar, Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast

Southern Ukraine campaign
Part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

A map of the Russian-occupied territory and military advances in Kherson Oblast at their maximum extent in March 2022
Date24 February 2022 – present
(2 years, 9 months and 4 days)
Location
Southern Ukraine (Donetsk Oblast, Kherson Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, Zaporizhzhia Oblast)
Status

Ongoing

Belligerents

 Russia

 Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Russia Vladimir Putin
Russia Mikhail Mishustin
Russia Valery Gerasimov
Russia Gennady Zhidko
Russia Oleg Salyukov
Russia Nikolai Yevmenov
Russia Sergey Dronov
Russia Zaur Dimayev † (4th Battalion of the Akhmat Kadyrov special forces regiment)[11]
Russia Andrey Mordvichev (killed per Ukrainian claim)[12]
Russia Yakov Rezantsev (killed per Ukrainian claim)[13]		 Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine Denys Shmyhal
Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi
Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi
Ukraine Serhiy Kotenko †[14]
Ukraine Vitaliy Nevinsky[15]
Ukraine Vyacheslav Dimov †[16]
Units involved
See order of battle See order of battle
Strength
c. 13,000 (March 2022)[17]
20,000–25,000 (August 2022)[18]
40,000 (October 2022)[19]
152,000 (May 2023)[20]		 Unknown

The southern Ukraine campaign is an ongoing theatre of operation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. From their base in Russian-occupied Crimea, the Russian Armed Forces attacked Kherson Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine,[21] battling the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[22]

Elements from the southern Russian offensive joined forces with elements from the eastern Ukraine offensive to jointly surround and bombard the city of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, which fell after months of siege.

Kherson was captured in March, after which Russian forces advanced quickly to the outskirts of Mykolaiv, where the front stabilised until a Ukrainian offensive in August. Ukrainian forces retook all of the territory west and north of the Dnipro river, and the front stabilised again just south of Kherson in November 2022. Kherson, the only oblast capital captured by Russia after its 2022 invasion, was liberated on 11 November.[23]

Background

In the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.[24][25] Russian troops de facto occupied the self-proclaimed Republic of Crimea for the next eight years. The Russian military presence in the peninsula increased during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis by over 10,000 additional troops.[26]

On 24 February, Russian forces took control of the North Crimean Canal, allowing Crimea to obtain water from the Dnieper, previously cut off since 2014.[27] On 26 February, the siege of Mariupol began as the attack moved east towards the city, linking the front to separatist-held regions in Donbas.[28][29] En route, Russian forces entered Berdiansk and captured it.[30] On 1 March, Russian forces attacked Melitopol and other nearby cities.[31] Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Melitopol, later announced that Russian forces had occupied the city.[32]

On the morning of 25 February, Russian units from the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) advanced towards Mariupol and were defeated by Ukrainian forces near the village of Pavlopil.[33][34][35] By evening, the Russian Navy reportedly began an amphibious assault on the coast of the Sea of Azov 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Mariupol. A US defence official said that Russian forces might be deploying thousands of marines from this beachhead.[36][37][38]

Another Russian force advanced north from Crimea, with the Russian 22nd Army Corps approaching the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on 26 February.[39][40] On 28 February, they began a siege at Enerhodar in an attempt to take control of the nuclear power plant.[41] A fire began at the plant during the battle.[42] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) subsequently said that essential equipment was undamaged.[43] By 4 March, the nuclear power plant fell under Russian control. Despite the fires, the power plant recorded no radiation leaks.[44]

A third Russian attack group from Crimea moved northwest, where they captured bridges over the Dnieper.[45] On 2 March, Russian troops won a battle at Kherson and captured Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russian forces in the invasion.[46] Russian troops moved on Mykolaiv and attacked the city two days later, but were later repelled by Ukrainian forces.[47] Also on 2 March, Ukrainian forces initiated a counteroffensive on Horlivka,[48] which had been mainly controlled by the DPR since 2014.[49] Following a renewed missile attack on 14 March in Mariupol, the Ukrainian government claimed more than 2,500 deaths in the city.[50]

By 18 March, Mariupol was completely encircled and fighting reached the city centre, hampering efforts to evacuate civilians.[51] On 20 March, an art school in the city, sheltering around 400 people, was destroyed by Russian bombs.[52] The Russians demanded a full surrender, and several Ukrainian government officials refused.[53][54] On 24 March, Russian forces entered central Mariupol.[55] The city administration alleged the Russians tried to demoralise residents by publicly shouting claims of Russian victories, that Odesa had been captured among them.[56]

On 27 March, Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna stated that "[Mariupol's inhabitants] don't have access to water, to any food supplies, to anything. More than 85 percent of the whole town is destroyed", and that Russia's objectives have "nothing to do with humanity".[57] In a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Macron on 29 March, Putin stated that the bombardment of Mariupol would end only when Ukrainian troops fully surrendered Mariupol.[58]

On 1 April, a rescue effort by the United Nations (UN) to transport hundreds of civilian survivors out of Mariupol with 50 allocated buses was impeded by Russian troops, who refused the buses safe passage into the city while peace talks continued in Istanbul.[59] On 3 April, following the retraction of Russian forces from Kyiv at the end of phase one of the military invasion, Russia expanded its attack on southern Ukraine further west with increased bombardment and strikes against Odesa, Mykolaiv, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[60][61]

Timeline

Russian capture of southern Kherson Oblast

See also: Battle of Kherson, Battle of Melitopol, Battle of Mykolaiv, and 2022 bombing of Odesa
Russian troops cross into southern Ukraine from Crimea on 24 February 2022

Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Air Force began to launch cruise and ballistic missiles at targets in several cities in Kherson Oblast. With air support, Russian Armed Forces then crossed into Kherson Oblast through areas of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014.[62][63][64] The Russian Navy used a naval blockade in the Black Sea to prevent Ukraine from providing support to units located near Kherson Oblast, and restrict commercial trade and the flow of goods to southern Ukraine.[65]

By 3:30 AM local time, Ukraine closed all commercial shipping in the Sea of Azov, leaving more than 100 ships stuck in port.[66] By evening, the Russians had reached Kherson and engaged the Ukrainians in the battle of Kherson. The Russians initially crossed the Dnieper River over the Antonovskiy Bridge, but Ukrainian mechanized forces were able to recapture the bridge.[67]

A Ukrainian battalion was deployed to destroy the Henichesk bridge near the Isthmus of Perekop, and thereby slow the advance of Russian troops from Crimea.[68] Vitalii Skakun, the combat engineer who planted the explosives on the bridge, did not have enough time to retreat from the bridge, and so detonated the mines, killing himself and destroying the bridge.[69][70] Skakun was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[71]

Russian troops established control over the North Crimean Canal.[72] Following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, Ukraine had blocked the canal,[73] which had provided 85% of Crimea's drinking water.[74] Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Republic of Crimea, told local authorities to prepare the canal to receive water from the Dnieper and resume the supply of water to Crimea, the following day.[75]

By the morning of 25 February, Russian forces had encircled and captured Nova Kakhovka.[76] The North Crimean Canal was unblocked, removing a longstanding water blockage imposed on Crimea after the 2014 Russian annexation of the peninsula.[77][78] Fighting began to spill into Zaporizhzhia Oblast as Russian forces moved through southeastern Kherson Oblast towards Melitopol, which later surrendered to advancing Russian forces after a small skirmish.[79][80] Later in the day, Russian forces captured the Antonovskiy Bridge.[81] Ukrainian forces counterattacked at Melitopol to take back control.[82]

Burned vehicles in Mykolaiv after Russian attacks

On 26 February, according to Kherson mayor Ihor Kolykhaiev, a Ukrainian airstrike forced the Russians to retreat from Kherson, leaving the city under Ukrainian control.[83][84] Ukrainian forces later recaptured the bridge.[85] Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said that Russian forces had killed a journalist and an ambulance driver near the village of Zelenivka, a northern suburb of Kherson.[86]

Another Ukrainian official later claimed that a Russian army column was defeated between the towns of Radensk and Oleshky, just south of Kherson.[87] In the afternoon of 26 February, 12 Russian tanks managed to break through in Kakhovka on the Dnieper and began advancing towards Mykolaiv.[88] Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, said the city had had five hours to prepare.[89][90] Artillery and other arms we’re prepared.[91]

A Ukrainian official stated that Russian forces had advanced further towards the city of Enerhodar southwest of Zaporizhzhia, and its Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The official stated that the Russians were deploying Grad missiles and warned of an attack on the plant.[92] The Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration stated that the Russian forces advancing on Enerhodar later returned to Bolshaya Belozerka, a village 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city.[93] Russian forces later captured the coastal city of Prymorsk by 13:40.[94]

By evening, Russian tanks were on the outskirts of Mykolaiv. Oleksandr Senkevych, the mayor of Mykolaiv, ordered citizens to stay indoors, as far away from windows as possible.[95] Shortly after, Russian troops entered the city and a battle on the Southern Bug erupted about 10 minutes later.[96] According to some reports, tanks "passed through the city".[97] There were also sightings of large fires.[98]

Russian forces advanced from Melitopol towards Mariupol, where a battle had gone on since 25 February. They captured the coastal city of Prymorsk and surrounded the city of Berdiansk west of Mariupol.[28][99] At Berdiansk, Russian troops captured the port and the Berdiansk Airport.[100][101]

Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov announced that the city of Henichesk and Kherson International Airport had surrendered to Russian forces in the morning.[102][103][104] Later, Russian forces encircled and captured a part of Kherson,[105][106] with Ukrainian officials corroborating this claim.[107]

Russian forces were also able to enter and capture Berdiansk.[108][109] During the takeover, local authorities reported that one person was killed and another was wounded.[110][111] At least eight Ukrainian warships were seized in Berdiansk; two Gyurza-M-class artillery boats, two Zhuk-class patrol boats, a Sorum-class tugboat (converted to a patrol vessel[112]) and six small patrol boats. Russia Today did not mention the second Zhuk-class patrol boat or the six small patrol boats, but claimed that among these vessels captured were a Polnocny-class landing ship, a Ondatra-class landing craft, a Grisha-class corvette, a Matka-class missile boat, and a Yevgenya-class minesweeper (officially, the Ukrainian Navy had none of these assigned to bases west of the Kerch Strait prior to the war and no recent reporting of them crossing it was available).[113] Two of the smaller boats were later revealed to be UMS-1000 patrol cutters, three were Kalkan-M boats[114] and one was an Adamant-315 motor yacht.[115]

Later on 27 February, a group of Romani Ukrainian fighters allegedly captured a Russian armoured fighting vehicle near Kakhovka.[116] Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian forces were fully driven away from Mykolaiv.[117] The city was extensively damaged.[118][119][120] Russian forces tried to enter into Dniprorudne during the day, but were forced to turn back after being confronted by protesting locals.[121]

Russian advance into northern Kherson Oblast, eastern Mykolaiv Oblast, and western Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Further information: Battle of Voznesensk (2022), Battle of Enerhodar, and 2022 Chornobaivka attacks

Advancing north from Crimea, with the Russian 22nd Army Corps approached the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on 26 February.[39][40] On 28 February, they began a siege at Enerhodar in an attempt to take control of the nuclear power plant.[41] A fire began at the plant during the battle.[42] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) subsequently said that essential equipment was undamaged.[43] By 4 March, the nuclear power plant fell under Russian control. Despite the fires, the power plant recorded no radiation leaks.[44] On 28 February, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces had captured Enerhodar, and surrounded the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. However, Dmitri Orlov, the mayor of Enerhodar, denied that the city and the plant had been captured.[122][123] A video later emerged showing local civilians preventing a Russian convoy from entering Enerhodar by barricading the entrance, forcing them to leave.[124]

Ukrainian official Vadim Denysenko accused Russian forces of trying to use civilians from villages around Kherson as human shields to cross the bridge into Kherson.[125] Russian troops advanced from Kherson towards Mykolaiv, reaching the city's outskirts and launching an assault at 11:00.[126][127] According to Oleksandr Svidlo, the mayor of Berdiansk, Russian forces left the city leaving a Russian military police detachment in the city.[128] Russian forces advanced towards Mariupol.[129] By reaching Mariupol, Russian forces established a land connection linking Crimea and the Donetsk People's Republic.[130]

Elsewhere, according to Ukrainian media reports, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups stole Ukrainian military uniforms from a military depot and engaged Ukrainian forces in Tokmak, northeast of Melitopol.[131][132][133] According to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, the Russians were identified because they wore bulletproof vests that were used by the Russian army, and not the Ukrainian vests.[134][135] Ukraine claimed Russian forces suffered many casualties and retreated to the southern outskirts of the town.[136]

In the early morning of 1 March, Russian forces began assaulting Kherson from the west, advancing from Kherson International Airport towards the highway to Mykolaiv. They were able to surround the city and reached the neighboring settlement of Komyshany.[137] Later in the day, Russian forces entered Kherson.[138]

The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, announced that the Russian forces had occupied the city.[4] A United States Department of Defense official also confirmed that Russian forces had captured the city.[139]

A Russian staging area near Radensk, Kherson, March 2022
A Russian T-72 tank trapped on a bridge demolished by the Ukrainians in Kalinovka, Mykolaiv Oblast, 2 March

Russian forces also shelled Bashtanka and Mykolaiv. Ukrainian officials later claimed that a large Russian convoy was attacked and defeated by Ukrainian forces during the night near Bashtanka, forcing the Russians to retreat towards the neighboring city of Novyi Buh. They claimed that "several dozen [Russian] armored vehicles" were destroyed in the attack.[140] Kim stated that during the operation, a Ukrainian helicopter was destroyed, but its pilots survived.[141] Ukrainian officials stated that Russian forces had surrounded Enerhodar, with a Russian convoy advancing into the city around 14:00.[142] According to the mayor, the city had difficulties obtaining food.[142]

In the early morning of 2 March, Russian forces seized parts of Kherson, including the city's central square.[143] Later that evening, Kolykhaiev announced that he had surrendered the city to Russian forces, and that the Russian commander planned to set up a military administration in the city.[144] Russian forces also bombarded Voznesensk that morning, which has a bridge that can be used to cross the Southern Bug instead of the one near Mykolaiv, during the morning. Russian paratroopers then landed at a forested ridge near the town, and an armored column approached it. Forces from the 126th Coastal Defence Brigade were attacked while trying to reach them.[145]

The Russian troops, estimated to be 400 by Ukrainian officials, then captured the village of Rakove, whose houses it used to create a sniper nest. Afterwards, they set up a base at a gas station near the town's entrance and assaulted the base of the Territorial Defense Forces. Ukrainian forces struck back with artillery that night with the help of local volunteers who gave them coordinates.[145] Meanwhile, Anton Herashchenko said that Russian shelling hit many homes in Mariupol, with four people killed.[146]

In the evening, an unidentified missile struck the MVS Banglar Samriddhi, a Bangladeshi cargo ship which stranded in port near Olbia in Mykolaiv Oblast since the invasion began, killing a Bangladeshi engineer.[147][148]

Destroyed Russian artillery and vehicles near Mykolaiv, 3 March 2022

In the early morning of 3 March, Kolykhaiev announced that Kherson had fallen to Russian forces.[149] Heavy resistance was still raging in the north of Kherson, as well as the city of Mariupol.[150] Mariupol officials allege that hundreds of civilians had been killed by 3 March.[151][152] Meanwhile, Orlov stated that a large Russian convoy had entered Enerhodar.[153] Later, Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. During the heavy fighting a fire broke out in a training facility outside of the main complex, which was quickly extinguished,[154] though other sections surrounding the plant sustained damage.[155]

Initial reports said that the radiation levels remained normal during this time and the fire did not damage essential equipment.[156][157] However, firefighters were unable to reach the fire due to the fighting.[158] Local volunteers and Ukrainian soldiers were able to repel Russian troops from Voznesensk during the day, forcing most of them to retreat 40 miles (64 km) to the east and others to flee into nearby forests, where ten of them were later captured. Ukrainian officials stated that Russian forces had lost 30 vehicles in the battle, in addition to around 100 soldiers. Ten civilians were killed in the fighting.[145]

On 4 March, local officials stated that Russian forces had captured some of the outskirts of Mykolaiv. Ukrainian forces recaptured Mykolaiv International Airport, from Russian forces.[159] In the morning, after confirming that there were no changes to radiation levels, Russian forces captured Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[160][161][162] Ukraine blew up a railway bridge on the border with Transnistria to prevent the 1,400 Russian troops stationed in Moldovan's breakaway territory from crossing into Ukraine.[163]

On 5 March, Orlov stated that Russian forces controlled the perimeter of Enerhodar and the power plant, while the local authorities were allowed to remain in control in the operation of the city.[9] Russian forces briefly entered Huliaipole (which, according to Ukrainian forces, was attacked during the night while facing shelling and airstrikes[164]), but they were pushed back.[165]

A destroyed Russian BMP-3 near Mariupol, 7 March 2022

On 7 March, the Ukrainian regional military administration of Zaporizhzhia Oblast stated that Russian forces had thus far captured the cities of Berdiansk, Enerhodar, Melitopol, Vasylivka, Tokmak and Polohy in this oblast.[166] On March 8, Russian and Ukrainian forces fought in Orikhiv, with Russian forces briefly capturing the town, but later being forced to pull out.[167] Although shelling and air strikes by Russian forces still continued, forcing many inhabitants to leave the city.[168][169] The Ukrainian armed forces stated they had sunk Vasily Bykov, which had attacked Snake Island during the day, near Odesa. Videos posted on social media showed the warship being targeted.[170] However, on March 16 the ship was shown entering Sevastopol with no obvious damange.[171] The Ukrainian Air Force struck the military airbase at Kherson International Airport during the day, with Ukrainian officials claiming that more than 30 Russian helicopters were destroyed. Satellite imagery however showed that the number was fewer.[172]

Remnants of a shelled hospital in Mariupol, 9 March 2022

On 9 March, Russian troops entered the town of Skadovsk. According to local residents they entered at 08:45 and stationed themselves in the central square before being driven away by protesters. They then took over a building of the National Police of Ukraine in addition to vandalizing the city council building. The mayor Oleksandr Yakovlev stated that they took away computers from the city council building and had ordered that no political rallies be held.[173]

The next day, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia deployed a battalion of the Baltic Fleet's 336th Naval Infantry Brigade toward Mykolayiv. Northwest of Mykolayiv, Russian and Ukrainian forces clashed in Voznesensk. The Institute for the Study of War opined that "Russian forces are likely experiencing difficulty advancing northwest beyond the Inhul River."[174] Heavy shelling hit Mykolaiv during the evening, causing several fires, and Vitaliy Kim reported "active hostilities near Guryivka" to the north of the city.[175] During the battles for Zaparizhzhia, Colonel Serhiy Kotenko Commander of the 9th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion "Vinnytsa Scythians" was killed.[14]

Fall of Mariupol, Ukrainian counter-attacks, and stalemate

Further information: 2022 Chornobaivka attacks
See also: Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast

On 11 March, Governor Kim stated that Ukrainian forces had pushed Russian troops eastwards by 15–20 kilometres (9.3–12.4 mi) and had also surrounded some units who were negotiating for a surrender.[176] The Ukrainian forces stated that they had destroyed two Russian helicopters in Skadovsk Raion the following day, and one of the pilots survived.[177] A video was published on social media showing one of the destroyed helicopters.[178] Yakovlev later stated that Skadovsk had been "liberated" from Russian forces as they had left the city on 10 March, but settled on its outskirts.[179]

The mayor of Dniprorudne, Yevhen Matveyev, was arrested by Russian soldiers, according to Starukh. He had previously joined the "living shield" protests against the Russian occupation of the region on 27 February. Russian forces also began imposing their authority in the Kherson Oblast, imposing limitations in Nova Kakhovka, Kakhovka and Tavriisk.[180]

A column of Russian forces re-entered Skadovsk during the afternoon, according to its mayor, and settled in one of the children's camps on its outskirts.[181]

Mykolaiv Oblast governor Vitaliy Kim later claimed that 200 Russian vehicles were destroyed and surrounded in Melitopol.[182] Anton Heraschenko however afterwards stated that this had occurred near Vasylivka and the Ukrainian forces had destroyed the 200 vehicles of Russian forces stationed near Melitopol using artillery. He added that their headquarters was destroyed as well.[183]

A Russian airstrike on Snihurivka at 06:00 on 14 March killed one civilian and damaged five buildings, according to the State Emergency Service.[184]

According to the Mariupol City Council, 2,357 civilians had been killed during the city's siege.[185]

On 15 March, Russian Defense Ministry stated that Russian forces had captured all of Kherson Oblast.[186] The Ukrainian Air Force later struck the military airbase at Kherson International Airport again, destroying multiple Russian helicopters.[172]

Gennady Korban, head of Staff of Dnipro Oblast's Territorial Defense Forces, stated that the region was prepared for a Russian offensive, unlike Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. He added that Russian forces were staging in the settlements of Velyka Oleksandrivka, Novovorontsovka and Arkhanhelske.[187] Landing ships of the Russian Navy meanwhile approached the coast of Odesa in three groups, including the Ivan Gren-class landing ship Pyotr Morgunov.[188] Russian fighter jets and warships attacked settlements in Odesa Oblast during the day, according to Ukrainian officials. Attacks on one of the settlements in the morning wounded two people.[189]

A downtown street during the siege of Mariupol
Aftermath of a rocket strike in the Odesa region, 16 May 2022
File:SPH Bohdana firing on russian troops on the Snake island.jpg
SPH Bohdana howitzer fires on Russian positions on Snake Island in June 2022

On 16 March, the Ukrainian government said that its forces had begun a counteroffensive near Mykolaiv towards Kherson, and captured the town of Posad-Pokrovske,[190] Ukrainian control of the town was independently confirmed five days later.[191] Meanwhile, Starukh stated that Russian forces had targeted civilian areas in the city of Zaporizhzhia for the first time, with rockets hitting the Zaporizhzhia-2 railway station. The city has acted as the first safe port for refugees fleeing Mariupol.[192] Oleksandr Yakovlev, the mayor of Skadovsk, was arrested by Russian soldiers during the day. He however stated a few hours later that they had released him.[193] Melitopol's mayor Ivan Fedorov was meanwhile freed as well. Some Ukrainian officials claimed he was freed in a "special operation".[194][195][196] However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's press aide Darya Zarivnaya later said that he was exchanged for nine Russian conscripts captured by Ukrainian forces.[197]

By 20 March, Russia had completely encircled Mariupol with infantry and demanded a full surrender of the city, which Zelenskyy refused.[198] On 24 March, Russian forces entered central Mariupol,[199] seizing the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. The city administration alleged that Russians were trying to demoralize residents by publicly shouting claims of Russian victories, including statements that Odesa had been captured.[200] On 27 March, as Russian forces entered the second phase of their invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Olha Stefanishyna, stated that Mariupol "simply does not exist anymore," and that Russia's objectives have "nothing to do with humanity." Stefanishyna summarized that: "They (Mariupol's inhabitants) don’t have access to water, to any food supplies, to anything. More than 85 percent of the whole town is destroyed."[201]

By 10 April, Ukrainian forces had made significant advances and pushed back the Russian military in the area around Kherson, gaining ground at Osokorkivka and Oleksandrivka. Russian counter-attacks failed to retake the lost territory, while Ukraine continued to harass local Russian airfields.[202] The Ukrainian counter-offensive had put Russia on the defensive in southern Ukraine, forcing it to focus on fortifying Kherson and improving its air defenses.[203] Guerrillas also began attacking Russian targets in the south, with one group reportedly operating in Melitopol.[204] By 18 April, fighting continued, and Ukraine claimed that its 80th Air Assault Brigade had retaken a number of villages near Mykolaiv.[205] Two days later, Russia counter-attacked and made minor gains at Oleksandrivka.[206]

On 1 June, According to a Ukrainian regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, Russian forces have started blowing up bridges near Kherson as "They are afraid of a counterattack by the Ukrainian army".[207]

On 1 June, Lt. Col. Zaur Dimayev, deputy commander of the 4th Battalion of the Akhmat Kadyrov special forces regiment was killed along with one of his escorts after Ukrainian forces opened fire and destroyed his military SUV near the town of Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[11] On 9 June, Reuters reported Ukrainian and British claims that Ukrainian forces had made gains in their counter-offensive towards Kherson including establishing a bridgehead across the Inhulets River.[208] This offensive led to fierce fighting around Davydiv Brid, which saw positional warfare for the village due to its location on the river.[209][210]

On 10 June, Ukraine claims they hit two Russian positions using artillery. In the first attack, Ukraine further claims they killed two Russian generals, one from the Russian army and one from the FSB. The general from the FSB, according to Ukraine, was working on referendum in the Kherson region. Ukrainian, in the second attack, claims that they have killed fighters from Syria in Chkalove. If true, it would be the first report of Syrian fighters in Ukraine. Russia has made no comment.[211]

On 8 July, Russia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrey Kelin, said during a Reuters interview that Russia was unlikely to withdraw its forces from southern Ukraine as part of any future deals to end the war, saying, "...we have already experienced that after withdrawal, provocations start and all the people are being shot and all that."[212]

On 12 August, António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, has asked for a demilitarized zone to be created around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. After recent shelling struck an area used to store radioactive material.[213] This echoes earlier calls by Ukraine and supported by the United States.[214] Russia has refused such calls saying that it is protecting the plant from "terrorist attacks"[215] however it has invited officials from the IAEA to visit.[213] Two of the workers at plant has told the BBC, via text message, that the staff are hostages and that shelling has prevented them from doing their normal work.[216]

2022 Kherson counteroffensive

Main article: 2022 Kherson counteroffensive
Further information: Liberation of Kherson and Attack on Nova Kakhovka
Civilians during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit following the liberation of Kherson, 14 November 2022

On 10 July, Iryna Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, urged civilians in the Kherson region to evacuate ahead of an upcoming Ukrainian counterattack there, without specifying when the offensive would take place.[217] Ukraine's defence minister Oleksii Reznikov also signalled an upcoming offensive in the region.[218]

On 11 July, Ukrainian forces launched a missile attack with HIMARS rockets on the Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka. Ukrainian officials claimed that the strike killed the chief of staff for the 22nd Army Corps, Major General Artyom Nasbulin, along with five colonels and a total of 150 soldiers. Russian forces confirmed the strike but did not confirm the death of the officers claimed by Ukraine, claiming that the Ukrainian rocket hit a warehouse that contained chemicals which then exploded.[219][220]

On 29 August, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive on the Kherson front.[221] During a 3 day period from 2 October to 4 October, Ukraine liberated 11 settlements in northern Kherson.[222] On 9 November, Russia announced the withdrawal of troops from Kherson,[223] with Ukrainian troops reported as entering Snihurivka the next day.[224][225][226] On 11 November, Ukrainian troops entered the city of Kherson,[227] and were met by crowds of Ukrainian citizens chanting "Slava Ukraini!" and "Glory to the ZSU,"[228] expressing their gratitude by lifting up soldiers and waving Ukrainian flags.[229][230]

Russian entrenchment and beginning of Dnieper campaign

Further information: Surovikin Line and Dnieper campaign (2022–present)
Aftermath of Russian shelling of Kherson city, 24 December 2022

In the aftermath of Ukraine's recapture of right-bank Kherson Oblast, Ukrainian forces began conducting a small-scale military campaign on the Dnieper, conducting raids and incursions on the left bank and on the Kinburn Spit.[231]

In December 2022, following previous successful counter-offensives, speculation among Western analysts and media about a prospective Ukrainian campaign to retake Crimea abounded. In the event of such an offensive, observers and analysts suggested Ukraine could attack along the Zaporizhzhia front and advance towards the strategic city of Melitopol to cut Russia's "landbridge to Crimea." Throughout the month, Russia reinforced its defense lines in southern Ukraine, particularly along the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts.[232] Attacks on "collaborators" and Russian agents by apparent Ukrainian partisans and saboteurs continued.[233]

On 23 December, Ukraine's mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said the Russians were transforming the city into a fortress, replete with dragon's teeth defenses.[233] Meanwhile, satellite imagery showed that Russian troops had established trenches around the perimeters of Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, considered a strategic city on the approach towards Melitopol.[234] On 15 May 2023, Ukrainian military intelligence estimated that the Russians had stationed 152,000 troops in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in anticipation of a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive.[235]

2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive and continued Dnieper incursions

Further information: 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive and Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam
A bombed-out school in Orikhiv, July 2023

As Ukraine prepared to launch its counteroffensive in the south, there were signs of activity on the Dnieper front.[236] However, on June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in Nova Kakhovka was purposefully destroyed while under Russian control since March 2022, massively flooding the region. Experts assess that Russian forces likely blew the dam up.[237][238] This forced combat to stop along the river for a time.[236]

In early June 2023, Ukrainian forces launched its counteroffensive on the eastern part of the southern front, focusing on multiple directions, including Orikhiv[239] and Velyka Novosilka,[240] which are located in eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast and western Donetsk Oblast, respectively. By 11 June, Ukraine had recaptured the front line settlements of Neskuchne, Blahodatne, Storozheve, Makarivka, and Novodarivka.[241] The progress of the offensive slowed as time progressed, despite the capture of several more villages. By December 2023, prominent Ukrainian figures and Western analysts began giving negative assessments of the success of the counteroffensive; statements by Ukrainian general Valerii Zaluzhnyi in early November 2023 that the war had arrived at a "stalemate" were seen by observers as an admission of its failure,[242] and followed more definite assessments made by analysts, especially with regard to operational success, from several weeks earlier.[243] Ukrainian forces did not reach the city of Tokmak, described as a "minimum goal" by Ukrainian general Oleksandr Tarnavskyi,[244] and the probable initial objective of reaching the Sea of Azov to split the Russian forces in southern Ukraine remained unfulfilled.[245][246][247]

As the floodwaters from the Dnieper receded, Ukraine resumed its incursions across the river on a larger scale. In December 2023, Ukraine established a foothold on the left bank at the village Krynky.[236]

Order of battle

Russia and pro-Russian separatists

 Russian Armed Forces
Donetsk People's Republic Donetsk People's Republic People's Militia[1]
Luhansk People's Republic Luhansk People's Republic People's Militia[1]
Local separatist forces
 Syria (according to SOHR[257] and Ukraine)[211]

Ukraine

 Armed Forces of Ukraine

Irregular civilian volunteers (militia)

  • Ukrainian guerrillas[204]

Environmental impact

See also: Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam § Animals and environment

The war has had a disruptive and destructive impact on the unique plants and wildlife of the Kinburn Spit such as the Сentaurea breviceps and Сentaurea Paczoskii cornflower species,[265] and their sensitive ecosystem.[266] Bombs, and the pollutants that came from them, killed nearby dolphins, and opened the sand and soil to the threat of chemicals seeping in and invasive species, according to the research and policy director at the UK-based Conflict and Environment Observatory Doug Weir.[267] In May 2022 a 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) fire, started by rockets, inflicted lasting habitat damage to the perennial forests and salt marshes of the spit.[266][267][268]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mykolaiv Oblast governor reports shootout between Russian troops, Russia's proxies in neighboring region". Kyiv Independent. 17 April 2022. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Russia says it captures Ukrainian city of Kherson -RIA". Reuters. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. ^ Hopkins, Valerie; Nechepurenko, Ivan; Santora, Marc (16 May 2022). "The Ukrainian authorities declare an end to the combat mission in Mariupol after weeks of Russian siege". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Korobova, Marina (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.
  5. ^ "Nova Kakhovka has fallen to Russia: Ukraine media". The Business standard. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022. Its mayor Volodymyr Kovalenko has reportedly said that Russian troops have seized the city's executive committee and removed all Ukrainian flags from buildings
  6. ^ "Part of Kherson region territory occupied by aggressor – Regional Administration". Interfax Ukraine. Kyiv. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Mayor of southern Ukrainian town says Russians have taken control". CNN News. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  8. ^ Clark, Mason; Stepanenko, Kateryna (8 April 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 8". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Российские войска покинули Энергодар: последствия обстрелов (уточнено)". Gazeta.ua (in Russian). 5 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 28, 2022". Institute for the Study of War. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Russia loses Zaur Dimayev, its 49th colonel in Ukraine war". New York Post. 1 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Советник Зеленского: "По предварительным данным, в результате удара ВСУ убит генерал-лейтенант РФ Андрей Мордвичев"". The Insider (in Russian). 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Sodan nopeaa päätöstä luvanneen kenraalin sanotaan kuolleen" (in Finnish). Verkkouutiset. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Щоб боротися з рашистами, командир "дев'ятки" полковник Сергій Котенко залишив крісло голови райдержадміністрації…". armyinform.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  15. ^ a b Michael Schwirtz (22 April 2022). "Dug in on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers fight to repel the Russian onslaught". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  16. ^ Ueslei Marcelino (19 April 2022). "Ukraine buries its war dead". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  17. ^ Gutschker, Thomas (14 March 2022). "Armee mit geringer Reichweite". FAZ. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Ukraine starts a push to recapture Kherson, a crucial Russian-occupied city". The Economist. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Ukraine Situation Report: Another Week, Another Fired Russian General". The Drive. 29 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  20. ^ Over 150,000 Russian troops in southern Ukraine prepare for Ukrainian counteroffensive – Defence Intelligence
  21. ^ "Russian forces seize Chernobyl, parts of Kherson region". Daily Sabah. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Ukraine says it was attacked through Russian, Belarus and Crimea borders". CNN. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Ukraine troops enter centre of Kherson as Russians retreat in chaos". the Guardian. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  24. ^ Myers, Steven Lee; Barry, Ellen (18 March 2014). "Putin Reclaims Crimea for Russia and Bitterly Denounces the West". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Putin signs Russia-Crimea treaty". BBC News. 18 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  26. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (4 February 2022). "Russian Troops in Final Stages of Readiness Add to Worries for Ukraine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  27. ^ Marrow, Alexander; Ostroukh, Andrey (24 February 2022). "Russian forces unblock water flow for canal to annexed Crimea, Moscow says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Российская военная техника заняла территорию бывшего аэропорта "Бердянск" – горсовет" (in Russian). UNIAN. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  29. ^ NEXTA [@nexta_tv] (26 February 2022). "The tanks of the occupiers have circled #Berdyansk and are heading towards #Mariupol. https://t.co/jwsIoORzH0" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Lister, Tim; Alkhaldi, Celine; Voitovych, Olga; Mezzofiore, Gianluca (24 March 2022). "Ukrainians claim to have destroyed large Russian warship in Berdyansk". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  31. ^ Zadorozhnaya, Anastasia (1 March 2022). Войска оккупанта готовят наступление на Мелитополь [Invader's troops are preparing an attack on Melitopol]. RIA Melitopol (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  32. ^ Korobova, Marina (1 March 2022). "Мелитополь не сдался, Мелитополь – временно оккупирован" – городской голова о ситуации на 1 марта ["Melitopol did not surrender, Melitopol is temporarily occupied" – the mayor on the situation on March 1]. Mestnyye Vesti (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Fierce battles raging in all directions near Mariupol – mayor". Interfax-Ukraine. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  34. ^ Richárd, Jabronka (25 February 2022). "Így áll most a háború Ukrajnában: több nagyvárosban harcok dúlnak, megtámadtak egy orosz repülőteret" [This is how the war in Ukraine is now: fighting is raging in several big cities, a Russian airport has been attacked]. Ellenszél (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  35. ^ "Battle ongoing near Mariupol – mayor". Ukrinform. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  36. ^ ""Amphibious assault" underway west of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, senior US defense official says". CNN. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  37. ^ "Russian Navy Carries Out Amphibious Assault Near Mariupol". The Maritime Executive. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Russian forces are about 31 miles outside southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, US defense official says". CNN. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  39. ^ a b "Ukraine official says Russian troops approaching Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant". National Post. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  40. ^ a b "The Russians paused the invasion, but aren't losing". Australian Financial Review. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  41. ^ a b "Ukraine nuclear plant on fire after Russia shelling". News.com.au. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  42. ^ a b "Russian forces attacking Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, per multiple reports". Business Insider Australia. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  43. ^ a b "Russian forces strike Ukraine from multiple fronts, including at power plant". ABC News. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  44. ^ a b "Russian troops take Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant". ABC News. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  45. ^ "Ukraine loses control over crossing to Kherson". Ukrinform. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  46. ^ Schwirtz, Michael; Pérez-Peña, Richard (2 March 2022). "First Ukraine City Falls as Russia Strikes More Civilian Targets". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  47. ^ "Ukrainian defenders repelled attack on Mykolaiv city, fighting continues on outskirts". Ukrinform. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  48. ^ "First in 7 days of war Ukrainian units go on offensive advancing to Horlivka – Arestovych". Interfax Ukraine. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  49. ^ Huijboom, Stefan (22 June 2015). "Resident of Russian-held Horlivka: 'We have nothing'". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  50. ^ Lister, Tim; Kesa, Julia (14 March 2022). "Ukraine puts death toll in Mariupol bombardment at more than 2,500". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  51. ^ Boffey, Daniel; Tondo, Lorenzo (18 March 2022). "Fighting reaches central Mariupol as shelling hinders rescue attempts". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  52. ^ "Russian forces bomb school sheltering 400 people in Mariupol, city council says". CNN. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  53. ^ "Ukraine rejects Russian demand to surrender port city of Mariupol in exchange for safe passage". CBS News. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  54. ^ "Ukraine refuses to surrender Mariupol as scope of human toll remains unclear". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  55. ^ "Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion". BBC News. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  56. ^ Clark, Mason; Barros, George; Stepanenko, Kateryna (24 March 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 24". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  57. ^ Scully, Rachel (27 March 2022). "Ukrainian official: Mariupol 'simply does not exist anymore'". The Hill. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  58. ^ "Ukraine War: Putin demands Mariupol surrender to end shelling". BBC News. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  59. ^ "Ukraine: No 'plan B' for evacuation of shattered Mariupol, say humanitarians, as Friday attempt fails". UN News. 1 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  60. ^ "Missiles hit Ukraine refinery, 'critical infrastructure' near Odessa". The Straits Times. SPH Media Trust. Reuters. 3 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  61. ^ "Video analysis reveals Russian attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant veered near disaster". NPR. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  62. ^ "Ukraine conflict: What we know about the invasion". BBC News. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  63. ^ Huang, Han. "How did Russia attack Ukraine? Invasion map explained in graphics". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  64. ^ "Watch | Russian vehicles enter Ukraine via Crimea". The Hindu. 24 February 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  65. ^ "Black Sea blockade: Ukraine accuses Russia of major maritime escalation". Atlantic Council. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  66. ^ "Ukraine Closes Sea of Azov Amid Military Action by Russia". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  67. ^ "Імовірність прориву на Миколаїв знизилася: військові відстояли Антонівський міст" (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  68. ^ "Ukrainian serviceman Skakun blows up Henichesk bridge to stop advance of tank column". Ukrinform. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  69. ^ "Ukrainian soldier blew himself up on bridge to block advancement of Russian tanks". yahoo.com. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  70. ^ "Ukrainian soldier blew himself up on bridge to block advancement of Russian tanks". The Independent. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  71. ^ "Vitalii Skakun, who blew up the bridge in Henichesk at the cost of his own life, is a graduate of Lviv Polytechnic". Lviv Polytechnic National University. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  72. ^ "Russian forces unblock water flow for canal to annexed Crimea, Moscow says". Reuters. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
  73. ^ "Russia Says Captured Key Water Supply Route to Crimea". The Moscow Times. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
  74. ^ "Dam leaves Crimea population in chronic water shortage". Al Jazeera. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
  75. ^ "Canal in annexed Crimea to be readied for water from Ukraine's Dnieper, official says". National Post. Reuters. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  76. ^ 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)
  77. ^ 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.
  78. ^ "Российские войска вышли к Херсону и восстановили подачу воды в Крым" (in Russian). РИА Новости. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  79. ^ "Ukraine's Zelenskyy says he is Russia's 'number one target'". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  80. ^ "Russia Ukraine news Live: Melitopol city is taken by the Russian army". MARCA. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  81. ^ "Ukraine loses control over crossing to Kherson". Ukrinform. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  82. ^ "В Мелитополе опять идут бои – взрывы и стрельба в разных районах города". Актуальные новости Мелитополя и региона – Местные вести (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  83. ^ The Kyiv Independent [@KyivIndependent] (26 February 2022). "Kherson mayor: City under Ukrainian control. After an aircraft attack on Russian armored vehicles, they backed off from the city. Mayor Ihor Kolyhaiev said trolleybuses were operating, and the food situation was "being resolved."" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
  84. ^ "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.
  85. ^ Paton Walsh, Nick (26 February 2022). "Battle rages for strategic bridge in southern Ukraine after days of fighting". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  86. ^ "Journalist shot dead by Russian occupiers in Kherson Region". Ukrinform. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  87. ^ "Column of Russian occupiers defeated in Kherson region – Interior Ministry". Ukrinform. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  88. ^ "Миколаїв готується до кругової оборони: до міста прориваються 12 танків". 24tv (in Ukrainian). 24-Канал. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  89. ^ Mazurenko, Alona (26 February 2022). "Миколаїв готується до кругової оборони: пруть ворожі танки". 24tv (in Ukrainian). 24-Канал. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  90. ^ "Russian invasion update: Mykolaiv preparing for all-round defense, tanks break through from Kakhovka". Ukrinform. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  91. ^ Kornilov, Mikhailo (26 February 2022). "Миколаїв готується до кругової оборони". Telegraf (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  92. ^ "Wojna na Ukrainie. Rosjanie blisko elektrowni atomowej. Jest ryzyko, że zostanie ostrzelana" [The war in Ukraine. Russians close to the nuclear power plant. There is a risk that it will be shot at] (in Polish). Polsat News. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  93. ^ Ekaterina Andrus (27 February 2022). "Официально о ситуации в Энергодаре 27 февраля". Nikopol News (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  94. ^ Denis Astafyev; Vasilina Gavyak; Anastasia Ilieva (28 February 2022). "Вторгнення в Україну російських військ: ситуація в Запорізькій області" (in Ukrainian). Suspilne. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  95. ^ "Миколаїв готується до оборони: розвели міст через річку, а людей просять не виходити". TSN (in Ukrainian). Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  96. ^ Kniazhik, Oksana (26 February 2022). "Бои за Николаев: в городе слышны выстрелы, объявлен сбор медиков". 24tv (in Ukrainian). 24-Канал. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  97. ^ Poliakovska, Tanya (26 February 2022). "Танки пройшли через Миколаїв зі стріляниною – ОДА" (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  98. ^ "В Николаеве русские танки прошли через город с боем, — губернатор Ким". inshe.tv (in Ukrainian). 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022.
  99. ^ NEXTA [@nexta_tv] (26 February 2022). "The tanks of the occupiers have circled #Berdyansk and are heading towards #Mariupol. https://t.co/jwsIoORzH0" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
  100. ^ Шагабудтдинова, Эльмира. "Власти Бердянска заявляют о том, что вражеская техника заняла территорию бывшего аэропорта". 061.ua – Сайт города Запорожья (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  101. ^ "Military vehicles of Russian Federation occupy territory of former Berdiansk airport". Interfax-Ukraine. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  102. ^ "В Минобороны сообщили об уничтожении 975 военных объектов Украины" [The Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of 975 military facilities of Ukraine] (in Russian). 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
  103. ^ "Russia says it "blocks" Ukraine's Kherson, Berdyansk – RIA". Reuters. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  104. ^ Nathan Hodge (27 February 2022). "Russia claims two southern cities "completely blocked" by Russian troops". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  105. ^ "War in Ukraine: Russian army makes a "breakthrough" in the country's second city, the battle for Kiev continues". 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  106. ^ "Russian forces advance on Kyiv: fighting on fourth day of invasion". The Guardian. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022. Ukrainian defence sources said that Russian forces captured part of Kherson, the city at the mouth of the Dnieper River.
  107. ^ "Russian forces advance on Kyiv: fighting on fourth day of invasion". The Guardian. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  108. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Russian forces enter Sea of Azov port Berdiansk – report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  109. ^ Yulia Zakharchenko (28 February 2022). "Бердянськ захопили бойовики, у Харкові та Сумах – тиша: Арестович про ситуацію в Україні". Fakty i Kommentarii. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  110. ^ "Russian troops take control of Berdiansk district – regional administration". www.ukrinform.net. Ukrinform. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  111. ^ "Berdiansk temporarily occupied by Russian invaders – Zaporizhia Oblast Administration". Ukrayinska Pravda. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  112. ^ "Військово-Морські Сили". Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  113. ^ "List of Ukrainian Navy ships would have been destroyed or captured by Russian armed forces". Navy Recognition. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  114. ^ "Oorlog in Europa 61 – dinsdag 22 maart 2022 – DefensieFotografie". Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  115. ^ "Captured Ukrainian ships and boats in Berdyansk". 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  116. ^ "Roma from Kherson oblast in Ukraine capture tank from Russian occupiers". romea.cz. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  117. ^ "Миколаїв залишається під контролем України". Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn (in Ukrainian). 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  118. ^ @GoncharenkoUa (27 February 2022). "Mykolaiv's center after the night battle. Welcome to hell" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  119. ^ "Инсайдер Украина Новости Война". Telegram (via Twitter link) (in Ukrainian). Insider Ukraine. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  120. ^ @MilitaryLandnet (26 February 2022). "After fierce fighting, Ukrainian troops repulses the enemy attack on #Mykolaiv" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  121. ^ "Im Video: Unbewaffnete Ukrainer stellen sich Russen-Panzern entgegen". Hamburger Morgenpost (in Spanish). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  122. ^ Valentina Letyak (28 February 2022). "Енергодар і Запорізька АЕС під контролем ЗСУ: мер міста просить не вірити фейкам". Fakty i Kommentarii (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  123. ^ "Russian forces seize two cities in Ukraine, Interfax says, with ceasefire talks about to begin". Reuters. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  124. ^ Julia (28 February 2022). "Жители Энергодара без оружия остановили колонну российских оккупантов, – ВИДЕО". First Zaprohziya (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  125. ^ "Denysenko: Column of Russian military equipment near Makariv, Kyiv region destroyed". Interfax Ukraine. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  126. ^ "Several killed as Russian rockets pound Ukraine's Kharkiv". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  127. ^ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, FEBRUARY 28, 2022". Institute for the Study of War. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  128. ^ "В оккупированном Бердянске горожане прогнали технику РФ и оставили украинские флаги". Украинская правда (in Russian). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  129. ^ Mason Clark, George Barros, and Kateryna Stepanenko (27 February 2022). "Russia-Ukraine Warning Update: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 27". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  130. ^ Trevithick, Joseph (27 February 2022). "Strategic Ukrainian Port Of Mariupol Now Surrounded By Russian Forces". The Drive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  131. ^ "У Токмаку йшли бої з окупантами у військовій формі ЗСУ". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  132. ^ "В Токмаке ночью велись ожесточенные бои". www.ukrinform.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  133. ^ Gazeta.ua (28 February 2022). "У місті Токмак йшли потужні бої з диверсантами в українській військовій формі". Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  134. ^ Жигайло, Андрій (28 February 2022). "У Токмаку ЗСУ відбили атаку диверсантів в українській формі: подробиці". OBOZREVATEL NEWS (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  135. ^ Цензор.НЕТ (28 February 2022). "Вночі у місті Токмак точилися потужні бої. ЗСУ бореться з диверсантами в українській формі, але з російськими бронежилетами". Цензор.НЕТ (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  136. ^ "В Токмаке войска оккупантов понесли большие потери". Індустріалка – новини Запоріжжя. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  137. ^ Tamila Ivanova (1 March 2022). "Шостий день вторгнення РФ: ситуація на Херсонщині. текстова трансляція". Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). Suspilne. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  138. ^ "Russian forces have entered Kherson, says Ukrainian official". Reuters. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  139. ^ "Some Russians surrender but situation remains grave – US". BBC News. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  140. ^ Lyudmila Sadlovska. "Окупанти обстріляли Градами місто під Миколаєвом". Korrespondent (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  141. ^ "Enemy column destroyed in Mykolaiv Region consisted of 800 vehicles". Ukrinform. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  142. ^ a b "Рада оборони Енергодара перейшла на цілодобовий режим роботи, місто в оточенні" [The Energodar Defense Council has switched to round-the-clock operation, the city is surrounded]. 061.ua (in Ukrainian). 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  143. ^ "Russian military vehicles seen across Kherson after heavy shelling". CNN. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  144. ^ 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.
  145. ^ a b c Yaroslav Trofimov (16 March 2022). "A Ukrainian Town Deals Russia One of the War's Most Decisive Routs". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  146. ^ "Dozens killed in Russian strikes on Zhytomyr and Kharkiv as invading forces increase bombing of Ukrainian cities". ABC News. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  147. ^ Arun Devnath (2 March 2022). "Missile Sets Bangladeshi Vessel Ablaze in Ukraine Port, One Dead". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  148. ^ "Ukraine conflict: Bangladeshi killed in rocket attack on ship". United News of Bangladesh. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  149. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (2 March 2022). "First Ukraine City Falls as Russia Strikes More Civilian Targets". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  150. ^ "Russian forces lay siege to Ukrainian port city of Mariupol". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  151. ^ "Russian forces strike, seize a nuclear plant as they pound southern Ukraine". Los Angeles Times. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  152. ^ "Russian, Ukrainian Officials Meet for Peace Talks as War Rages". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  153. ^ "Russians advance towards Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant". Al Jazeera. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  154. ^ Update on the human rights situation in Ukraine (Reporting period: 24 February – 26 March) Archived 1 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
  155. ^ "Video analysis reveals Russian attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant veered near disaster". NPR. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  156. ^ "Live updates: Russian troops shelling nuclear power station". Associated Press. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  157. ^ "Fire breaks out at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant amid shelling". MSN. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  158. ^ Tim Stelloh (3 March 2022). "Nuclear plant on fire in Ukraine after Russia attacks facility". NBC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  159. ^ Michael Schwirtz (4 March 2022). "In a surrounded Ukrainian city, residents vow to fight to the end". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  160. ^ Boynton, Sean (4 March 2022). "Russian troops capture Europe's largest power plant in Ukraine after intense battle". Global News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  161. ^ "Russia Seizes Ukraine Nuclear Plant Hours After Attack: 10 Points". NDTV. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  162. ^ Vira Kasiyan (4 March 2022). "Енергодар: окупанти знову зайшли в місто". Lb.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  163. ^ Ernst, Iulian (7 March 2022). "Ukraine blows up bridge to Transnistria after Tiraspol reasserts its independence". intellinews. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  164. ^ "У Запорізькій області тривають бої: окупанти бомблять Гуляйполе та його околиці". 1news (in Ukrainian). 6 March 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  165. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Yermak, Natalia (30 March 2022). "'Like Living in a Horror Movie': A Ukraine Town Dying a Slow Death". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  166. ^ "Ukraine after 11th night of war: Mayor killed, towns taken, Moscow promises civilian corridors to Russia". Baltic News Network. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  167. ^ Kagan, Frederick W.; Barros, George; Stepanenko, Kateryna (8 March 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 8". Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  168. ^ "У Запорізькій ОВА показали наслідки ворожих обстрілів міста Оріхів (фото)". LB.ua. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  169. ^ Schwirtz, Michael; Addario, Lynsey (26 April 2022). "Standing in the path of war, a small Ukrainian town braces as Russians advance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  170. ^ "Ukrainians sink Russian warship that attacked Snake Island – report". The Time of Israel. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  171. ^ "The Curious Case Of Russia's Back From The Dead Warship". The Drive. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  172. ^ a b Joseph Trevithick; Tyler Rogoway (15 March 2022). "Ukraine Strikes Back: Barrage Leaves Russian-Occupied Kherson Airbase In Flames". The Drive. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  173. ^ Olena Roshchina (9 March 2022). "У Скадовськ зайшли військові РФ, із міськради винесли комп'ютери". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  174. ^ Clark, Mason. "Russia Offensive Campaign Assessment – March 10". 10 March 2022. Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  175. ^ Lister, Tim (11 March 2022). "Heavy Russian shelling has erupted in the southern city of Mykolaiv". CNN. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  176. ^ Andrew Harding (12 March 2022). "Battle for Mykolaiv: 'We are winning this fight, but not this war'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  177. ^ "Два російські вертольоти збиті у Скадовському районі на Херсонщині – Сухопутні війська ЗСУ". Interfax-Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  178. ^ "Українські військові збили два вертольоти окупантів над Скадовським районом (відео)". TSN (in Ukrainian). 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  179. ^ "Скадовськ зачистили від окупантів. Яка ситуація в місті". Newspaper in Ukrainian (in Ukrainian). 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  180. ^ Olga Okhrimenko (13 March 2022). "Окупанти викрали мера міста Дніпрорудного". Fakty i Kommentarii (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  181. ^ "Колонна российских оккупантов заехала в Скадовск и разместилась в одном из детских лагерей, – мэр Яковлев". Censor.NET (in Russian). 13 March 2022. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  182. ^ "Под Мелитополем разбили стоянку из 200 единиц техники оккупантов — Геращенко". Novy Chas (in Russian). 13 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  183. ^ Violetta Orlova (13 March 2022). "Под Мелитополем ВСУ уничтожили около 200 единиц техники оккупантов" (in Russian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  184. ^ Olga Voroshilova (14 March 2022). "Внаслідок авіаційного обстрілу на Миколаївщині загинула одна людина" (in Ukrainian). Suspilne. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  185. ^ "Russian forces shoot at civilians in Hostomel". India Today. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  186. ^ "Russian forces take control of Ukraine's Kherson region: Agencies". Reuters. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022 – via Al Arabiya.
  187. ^ Katya Yuskiv (15 March 2022). "Дніпропетровська область готова до опору – Корбан". Korrespondent (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  188. ^ H.I. Sutton (15 March 2022). "Russian Navy Landing Ships Seen Approaching Ukrainian Coast Near Odessa". Naval News. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  189. ^ Denis Karlovskyy (15 March 2022). "Російські кораблі стріляли по населених пунктах Одещини, 2 поранених". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  190. ^ Alan Cullison; Isabel Coles; Yaroslav Trofimov (16 March 2022). "Ukraine Mounts Counteroffensive to Drive Russians Back From Kyiv, Key Cities". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  191. ^ Walsh, Nick Paton (21 March 2022). "Inside Ukraine's fight to take back Russia-controlled Kherson". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  192. ^ "Train station targeted in Ukraine refugee hub near Mariupol". Times of Malta. Agence France-Presse. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  193. ^ "Mayor of Skadovsk says occupiers talked to him and released him". Interfax-Ukraine. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  194. ^ "Melitopol mayor freed after kidnapping by Russian forces". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  195. ^ "Captured Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov rescued by Ukrainian forces: Report". Washington Examiner. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  196. ^ Карловский, Денис. "Мэра Мелитополя освободили из плена русских". Украинская правда (in Russian). Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  197. ^ "Ukraine swapped nine Russian soldiers to free detained mayor". Reuters. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  198. ^ "Ukraine refuses to surrender Mariupol". CBS Evening News. 3-21-2022.[1] Archived 22 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  199. ^ "Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion". BBC News. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  200. ^ Mason Clark, George Barros, and Kateryna Stepanenko. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 24". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  201. ^ Rachel Scully (27 March 2022). "Ukrainian official: Mariupol 'simply does not exist anymore'". The Hill. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  202. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 10". Institute for the Study of War. 10 April 2022. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  203. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 12". Institute for the Study of War. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  204. ^ a b Denys Karlovski (13 April 2022). "Melitopol: guerrillas operating at night killed 70 Russian occupiers within 3 weeks – Ukrainian Chief Intelligence Directorate". Pravda. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  205. ^ a b "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 18". Institute for the Study of Warfare. 18 April 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  206. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 20". Institute for the Study of Warfare. 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  207. ^ "Russian troops retreating in Kherson blow up bridges to prevent counterattack". telegraph.co.uk. 1 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  208. ^ Polityuk, Pavel; Boumzar, Abdelaziz (9 June 2022). "Ukraine says troops holding on to Sievierodonetsk, advance in south". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  209. ^ "Ukraine reports fierce fighting, 'some success' in counteroffensive". Reuters. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  210. ^ "Inside the Ukrainian counteroffensive that shocked Putin and reshaped the war". The Washington Post. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  211. ^ a b "Civilians flee intense fighting in contested eastern Ukraine". AP NEWS. 10 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  212. ^ "Russian forces unlikely to leave southern Ukraine, ambassador says". Yahoo News. 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  213. ^ a b "UN chief calls for demilitarised zone as more shelling hits Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant". ABC. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  214. ^ "Ukraine calls for demilitarised zone around the shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant". ABC. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  215. ^ "Russia opposes demilitarisation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant". Yahoo. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  216. ^ James Waterhouse (12 August 2022). "Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers: We're kept at gunpoint by Russians". BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  217. ^ "Civilians in Kherson urged to evacuate". The Guardian. 10 July 2022. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  218. ^ Tucker, Maxim (10 July 2022). "Ukraine has one million ready for fightback to recapture south". The Times. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  219. ^ Roland Oliphant, James Kilner (13 July 2022). "Himars rocket strike kills Russian major general and up to a dozen officers". msn.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  220. ^ Allison Quinn (12 July 2022). "Another General Killed as Russian Leak Admits 'Big Shot Fucking Command' Was Obliterated". thedailybeast.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  221. ^ "Ukraine Claims Breakthroughs Made Against Russian Forces In Southern Offensive". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  222. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 3". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  223. ^ "Russia orders troop withdrawal from Ukraine's Kherson city". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  224. ^ "Tears, Joy On The Streets As Ukrainian Troops Push Toward Kherson". RFE/RL. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  225. ^ "Latest Developments in Ukraine: Nov. 9". Voice of America. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  226. ^ "Ukrainian troops reportedly enter Snihurivka as Russia announces retreat from Kherson". The Kyiv Independent. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  227. ^ Maynes, Charles; Westerman, Ashley (11 November 2022). "Ukrainian troops enter Kherson city after Russia retreats". NPR.
  228. ^ "Scenes of jubilation as Ukraine troops enter Kherson hours after Russian withdrawal". The Independent. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  229. ^ Abrahams, Jessica (12 November 2022). "Russian forces 'snuck out of Kherson in civilian clothes'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  230. ^ "Kherson: Inside the city liberated from the Russians". BBC News. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  231. ^ Segura, Cristian (21 November 2022). "Ukraine opens a new front on the Dnipro to threaten Moscow's rearguard". Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  232. ^ "Big war is back': 5 lessons from Russia's invasion of Ukraine". Financial Times. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  233. ^ a b "Ukraine Situation Report: Strategic City Of Melitopol Could Be Kyiv's Next Target". The Drive. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  234. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 23". The Institute for the Study of War. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  235. ^ Over 150,000 Russian troops in southern Ukraine prepare for Ukrainian counteroffensive – Defence Intelligence
  236. ^ a b c Santora, Marc (21 October 2023). "With raids across Dnieper River, Ukraine may be seeking new front in war". Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  237. ^ Glanz, James; Santora, Marc; Pérez-Peña, Richard (6 June 2023). "Internal Blast Probably Breached Ukraine Dam, Experts Say (Cautiously)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  238. ^ Glanz, James; Santora, Marc; Robles, Pablo; Willis, Haley; Leatherby, Lauren; Koettl, Christoph; Khavin, Dmitriy (16 June 2023). "Why the Evidence Suggests Russia Blew Up the Kakhovka Dam". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  239. ^ "Fighting rages in Zaporizhzhia region, pro-Russian official says". The Washington Post. 8 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  240. ^ Hird, Karolina; Barros, George; Mappes, Grace; Wolkov, Nicole; Clark, Mason; Kagan, Fredrick W. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 8, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  241. ^ Mappes, Grace; Wolkov, Nicole; Stepanenko, Kateryna; Barros, George; Clark, Mason. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 11, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  242. ^ Soufi Burridge, Tom (3 November 2023). "Ukraine general's view of war 'stalemate' appears to be recognition of failed counteroffensive: Reporter's Notebook". ABC News. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  243. ^ "Ukraine im Schatten von Nahost - Reisner: Die Gegenoffensive ist gescheitert". ZDF (in German). 12 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  244. ^ Cotovio, Vasco; Pleitgen, Frederik; Hodge, Daniel; Gak, Konstyantyn; Kesaieva, Yulia (23 September 2023). "Ukrainian forces have broken through in Verbove, top general says". CNN. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  245. ^ "We are out of schedule – Head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence". Yahoo News. 12 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  246. ^ Kilner, James (15 October 2023). "Ukraine's counter-offensive is a 'disaster', says former Zelensky adviser". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  247. ^ Pietralunga, Cédric (25 October 2023). "Pourquoi la contre-offensive de l'Ukraine est en échec". Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  248. ^ "Russia-Ukraine Warning Update: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 27, 2022". Critical Threats. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  249. ^ a b c d e David Axe (4 October 2022). "Rivers At Their Backs And Ukrainian Brigades Closing In, A Lot Of Russian Troops Might Need To Learn To Swim". Forbes. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  250. ^ a b c "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 25, 2022". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  251. ^ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, OCTOBER 3". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  252. ^ a b c d e "UAF Gain Ground in Kherson and Donbas Sectors, Dozens of RF Armored Vehicles Claimed Destroyed". Kyiv Post. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  253. ^ a b "Armed Forces of Ukraine took revenge on the Russian SU-25 and the Mi-8 helicopter, which flew to rescue the pilot". Ukraine Today. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  254. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 4". Institute for the Study of War. 4 October 2022.
  255. ^ "Ukrainian Counteroffensive Underway in Kherson Region". Kyiv Post. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  256. ^ "Russia's war on Ukraine: six months of spreading lies". The Frontier Post. 24 August 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  257. ^ a b "Russia-Ukraine war | Five Syrian fighters of Special Task Forces of 25th Division killed on Kherson front". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  258. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (6 March 2022). "Proud Band of Ukrainian Troops Holds Russian Assault at Bay — for Now". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  259. ^ "A young officer hopes to turn the tide of war, as Ukraine fights to retake a key city". NPR. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  260. ^ a b "Ukraine pushes back in Kherson region, one village at a time". LeMonde. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  261. ^ "Ukraine retakes more territory in southern Kherson region". PBS. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  262. ^ "Ichkerian Battalion Fighters Liberate Village Of Arkhangelske In Kherson Region". Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  263. ^ Paul Kirby (5 October 2022). "Ukraine regains Kherson villages from Russians". BBC. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  264. ^ "Українські партизани підірвали військкомат в Херсоні, – Братчук | Еспресо". espreso.tv (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  265. ^ "Unique plants in the south of Ukraine may become extinct because of the war". uacrisis.org. Ukraine Crisis Media Center. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022. Oleksiy Vasyliuk, head of the NGO Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group, said that there are unique plants on the Kinburn Spit that grow only there and nowhere else on the planet, for example, two cornflower species – Сentaurea breviceps and Сentaurea Paczoskii.
  266. ^ a b Quaoar (30 October 2022). "Why is Russia fortifying an environmentally sensitive Ukrainian peninsula of sand and lakes?". dailykos.com. Daily Kos. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  267. ^ a b Cundy, Antonia (7 June 2022). "Dead dolphins: how nature became another casualty of the Ukraine war". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  268. ^ Kottasová, Ivana (22 May 2022). "Ukraine's natural environment is another casualty of war. The damage could be felt for decades". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 24 November 2022. Precious perennial forests and salt marshes in the Kinburn Spit Reserve in the Mykolaiv region were on fire for more than a week, its unique habitats were left devastated, according to Zinoviy Petrovich, the head of Kinburn Spit Reserve.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_front_of_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine&oldid=1192135679"