Battle of Siversk

Last updated
Battle of Siversk
Part of the battle of Donbas in the eastern Ukraine offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Siversk after shelling (2022-08-24) 01.jpg
Residential building in Siversk and remains of a cluster rocket in August 2022
Date3 July – 8 September 2022
(2 months and 5 days)
Location
Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Units involved

Banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (obverse).svg Russian Armed Forces

Emblem of the Donetsk People's Militia.svg Donetsk People's Militia

Patch of the People's Militia of Lugansk People's Republic.svg Luhansk People's Militia

Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg Ukrainian Armed Forces

Casualties and losses
Ukrainian claim:
30+ soldiers killed
DPR claim:
29+ soldiers killed
100+ wounded

The battle of Siversk was a military engagement during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the battle of Donbas of the wider eastern Ukraine offensive, that began on 3 July 2022. Russian forces ceased launching assaults on and around Siversk on 28 July, with a lull in fighting throughout August. Due to gains made from the Kharkiv counteroffensive, Russian forces were unable to make further gains towards Siversk from September 8.

Contents

Background

Siversk Professional Lyceum, destroyed by shelling on 5 May 2022 Siversk after the battle (2023-04-04) 06.jpg
Siversk Professional Lyceum, destroyed by shelling on 5 May 2022
Attack on Bakhmut, in the Russian advance towards Siversk on 16 July 2022 Attack on Bakhmut, in the Russian advance towards Siversk.jpg
Attack on Bakhmut, in the Russian advance towards Siversk on 16 July 2022

On 25 June, Russian forces captured Sievierodonetsk and the surrounding villages. [3] [4] Russian forces captured the twin city of Lysychansk on 2 July, fully capturing Luhansk Oblast. [5] After completing one of the primary Russian goals in the battle of Donbas, Russian and separatist forces stated they would be pushing towards northern Donetsk Oblast, with the next goals being the cities of Siversk and Bakhmut. [6]

Battle

On 3 July 2022, the LPR announced that fighting for Siversk had begun, although this claim was rejected by Ukraine and Western observers. Fighting intensified on 4 July for the villages of Verkhniokamianske, Hryhorivka, Spirne, and especially Bilohorivka, the last town in Luhansk Oblast under Ukrainian control. [7] [8] Russian and LPR forces captured the village of Hryhorivka on 9 July, which the British Ministry of Defence confirmed on 12 July. [9] [10] On 11 July, Russian forces reached to just within a few kilometers of Siversk, although the Ukrainian General Staff claimed that a Russian assault on Spirne and Ivano-Darivka suffered serious losses. [11] [12] Russian and separatist media falsely claimed on 13–14 July that Russian forces had captured Siversk, although Ukrainian forces retained control of the town. [13] On 15 July, Russian forces launched a failed attack on Verkhnokamyanske and Spirne. [14]

Between 16–19 July, clashes began around Ivano-Darivka, Bilohorivka, and Berestove. [15] These battles spread to Spirne, Serebrianka, and Verkhnokamyanske on 19 July, with Ukrainian forces also falling back to the center of Hryhorivka. Throughout July and August, these towns switched between Russian and Ukrainian control multiple times, with Russian forces launching numerous failed ground assaults in the direction of Siversk. [16] The fighting resulted in a stalemate, with Russian forces being unable to make any territorial gains after 24 July. [17] On 28 July, Russian forces reportedly did not conduct any assaults towards Siversk for the first time since the battle began. [18]

On 7 September, units of the 80th Air Assault Brigade and the Ukraine's Donbas Battalion reportedly pushed the line of contact back to the outskirts of Verkhniokamianka in Luhansk Oblast. [19] On 9 September, Russian forces did not conduct any attacks on Siversk for the first time since July, having withdrawn from their positions surrounding the town.[ citation needed ]

Casualties

Graves made by locals near a Siversk hospital, because the cemetery was too close to the front line Siversk after the battle (2023-04-04) 08.jpg
Graves made by locals near a Siversk hospital, because the cemetery was too close to the front line

Four foreign volunteers—two Americans, one Canadian, and one Swede—fighting for Ukraine were killed by tank fire on 22 July during an attempt to clear Russian forces out of a ravine near Siversk, according to territorial defense forces commander Ruslan Miroshnichenko. [21] [22]

The head of the military administration of the Donetsk Oblast reported 30 Russian soldiers killed in a raid in the peripheral area on 28 July, while also claiming that Russian losses were constantly increasing. [23]

According to a senior DPR official, Ukrainian casualties since the beginning of the battle were over 29 soldiers killed and at least 100 wounded. The same officer later attributes these losses to accurate multiple rocket launcher strikes by Russian and separatist forces. [23]

Analysis

On 20 July, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that the Russian grouping in the Siversk area was likely still severely degraded by recent operations to complete the capture of the Luhansk Oblast and was therefore only making slow and grinding progress towards Siversk, and that they were continuing to degrade their own offensive combat power in localized fights for small and relatively unimportant settlements. It was also stated that Russian troops were struggling to move across relatively sparsely-settled and open terrain, and would encounter terrain much more conducive to the Ukrainian defenders the closer they would get to the E40 around Slovyansk and Bakhmut due to the increasing population density and built-up nature of those areas. The ISW concluded that the current Russian offensive in Donbas would likely to culminate somewhere along the E40 in the following weeks. [24]

According to the ISW, the language of the Ukrainian General Staff's report on 23 July suggested that Russian forces may be advancing closer to the outskirts of Siversk proper from positions in the east. [16]

On 28 July, the ISW stated that Russian forces may be de-emphasizing attempts to take Siversk in order to concentrate on Bakhmut, as they have been struggling to make concrete gains around Siversk and have not made any confirmed advances toward the city since the capture of the Luhansk Oblast Administrative border in early July. The ISW concluded that Russian command is likely seeking to maintain momentum around Bakhmut, potentially at the expense of continued pressure on Siversk. [25]

On 30 July, President Zelenskyy ordered all Ukrainian civilians in the Donetsk region to evacuate. Between 200,000 and 220,000 civilians still lived in the unoccupied area of Donetsk Oblast, according to Ukrainian estimates. According to Zelenskyy the evacuation responded to the lack of heat and energy needs for the incoming winter season. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhansk Oblast</span> Administrative region of Ukraine

Luhansk Oblast, also referred to as Luhanshchyna (Луга́нщина), is the easternmost oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast until 1958 and again from 1970 to 1991. It has a population of 2,102,921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Territorial control during the Russo-Ukrainian War</span>

This page provides information on the most recently known control of localities in Ukraine during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, which started in 2014 and escalated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It includes all larger localities across the country, as well as some smaller localities close to current or recent lines of contact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Ukraine campaign</span> Ongoing military offensive in Ukraine

The eastern Ukraine campaign is a theatre of operation in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine affecting oblasts in eastern Ukraine: Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast and Kharkiv Oblast. The invasion is an escalation or intensification of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which had been waging between Ukraine and Russian proxies since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Donbas (2022)</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Donbas was a military offensive that is part of the wider eastern Ukraine campaign of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The offensive began on 18 April 2022 between the armed forces of Russia and Ukraine for control of the Donbas region. Military analysts consider the campaign to have been the second strategic phase of the invasion, after Russia's initial three-pronged attack into Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sievierodonetsk (2022)</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Sievierodonetsk was a military engagement in the wider battle of Donbas of the Eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilohorivka, Luhansk Oblast</span> Urban-type settlement in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine

Bilohorivka is an urban-type settlement in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located approximately 88 kilometres (55 mi) northwest from the centre of Luhansk and 25 kilometres (16 mi) west-south-west from Sievierodonetsk. The population is 808.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Siverskyi Donets</span> Battle of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of the Siverskyi Donets was a series of military engagements which took place in May 2022, most notably from 5 to 13 May, on the Lyman–Sievierodonetsk front of the battle of Donbas. It was part of the wider eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sloviansk offensive</span> Battle in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Sloviansk offensive was a series of military engagements in villages south of the town of Izium, including the villages of Bohorodychne, Dovhenke, and Krasnopillia between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the battle of Donbas that started following the Russian victory at the battle of Izium. This offensive was part of a longer-term Russian drive towards Sloviansk and of a larger attempted encirclement of Ukraine's Donbas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Lysychansk</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Lysychansk was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine in the wider battle of Donbas of the eastern Ukraine campaign during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By May 2022, Lysychansk and its twin city of Sievierodonetsk were the two largest cities of the Luhansk Oblast not under Russian control. Russian forces launched an assault on Sievierodonetsk in May where a fierce battle occurred until late June, when Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city. Fighting then continued as Russian forces started to attack Lysychansk across the Donets River.

Krasna Hora is an urban-type settlement in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. The name is derived from the local red clay deposit, which is used for production of bricks. Administratively, it is part of Bakhmut urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 584. Since 2023, it has been under Russian occupation.

Midna Ruda is a village (selo) in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is considered "Bakhmut's coal mine." During the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Midna Ruda was captured by Russian and DPR forces.

The battle of Bakhmut is a major battle taking place between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces in and around the city of Bakhmut during the larger eastern Ukraine campaign. It is one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war so far.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Soledar</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Soledar was a series of military engagements in and around the urban-type settlement of Soledar during the battle of Donbas in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Pisky</span> Battle during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Pisky was a series of military engagements for control of the ghost town of Pisky, located just outside of the city of Donetsk, between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the allied separatist Donetsk People's Republic during the battle for Donbas of the eastern Ukraine campaign. Russian and separatist forces fully captured Pisky on 24 August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive was a major counteroffensive operation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on 6 September 2022. Following the launch of the Kherson counteroffensive in southern Ukraine in late August, Ukrainian forces began a second counteroffensive in early September in Kharkiv Oblast, in Eastern Ukraine.

Bakhmutske is a village in Bakhmut Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, located about 83.3 kilometres (51.8 mi) north-northeast from the centre of the city of Donetsk. It belongs to Soledar urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It has been occupied by Russia since December 2022.

Mala Seidemynukha is a village in Beryslav Raion (district) in Kherson Oblast of southern Ukraine, at about 69.6 kilometres (43.2 mi) north-northeast from the centre of Kherson city, on the left bank of the Inhulets river. It belongs to Kalynivske settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Lyman</span> September to October 2022 battle in Ukraine

The Second Battle of Lyman was a military engagement during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. The battle started on 10 September 2022 during the counteroffensive and ended three weeks later on 2 October. By 30 September, Ukrainian forces had closed in on the city after crossing the Siverskyi Donets River, advancing along Lyman's southern and eastern flanks while capturing land northwest of the settlement, allowing Ukrainian forces to cut off the only road left supplying the occupying forces from the north. On 1 October, Ukrainian forces entered Lyman after a Russian withdrawal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhansk Oblast campaign</span> Military campaign within the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022

Since 2 October 2022, a military campaign has taken place along a 60-km frontline in western parts of Luhansk Oblast and far-eastern parts of Kharkiv Oblast amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also known as the Svatove–Kreminna line or the Kupiansk–Svatove–Kreminna line after the major settlements along the front, the campaign began a day after the Ukrainian Army recaptured the nearby city of Lyman during the Kharkiv counteroffensive.

Spirne is a rural settlement in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It belongs to the Soledar urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. According to the 2001 Census, the village has a population of 80. A gas compression station and farm are located in the village, and the Mount Vesuvius Nature Reserve is located nearby.

References

  1. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 6". Institute for the Study of War. 6 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  2. "Bloody battle for control rages in eastern Ukraine as Russia struggles to gain ground in Donetsk". Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  3. "Российские военные заявили о полном контроле над Северодонецком". Radio Free Europe (in Russian). 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022. The summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of that night says that Russian forces are fixed in the areas of the Sievierodonetsk, Syrotyne, Voronove and Borivske following the Ukrainian forces leaving the area
  4. "Mayor Says Ukrainian Troops Have 'Almost Left' Sievierodonetsk". Archived from the original on 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  5. "Russia claims control of pivotal eastern Ukrainian province". Daily Independent. 3 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. Beecher, Jay (2022-07-14). "Russian Invaders Attempt to Break Through to Siversk to Open Way to Bakhmut - Kyiv Post - Ukraine's Global Voice". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  7. "Russian forces stuck in the area of Bilohorivka head of Luhansk Oblast Military Administration". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  8. "Ukrainian Troops Dig In at New Front Line in Bid to Stop Russian Advance". VOA. Archived from the original on 2022-07-12. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  9. "British Defense Intelligence Ukraine Update, July 12, 2022". KyivPost. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  10. Gershkovich, Alan Cullison and Evan. "Ukraine Braces for Russian Assault on City It Retook After 2014 Revolt". WSJ. Archived from the original on 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  11. "Russia-Ukraine war update: what we know on day 138 of the invasion". The Guardian . 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  12. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 12". Institute for the Study of War. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. "Separatist official says Russian and proxy forces enter Ukraine's Siversk -TASS". Reuters. 2022-07-13. Archived from the original on 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  14. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 15". Institute for the Study of War. 15 July 2022. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  15. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 17". Institute for the Study of War. 17 July 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 23". Institute for the Study of War. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  17. Sly, Liz (July 28, 2022). "Ukraine could be turning the tide of war again as Russian advances stall". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  18. "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  19. "Invasion Day 196 – Summary". 7 September 2022. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  20. Yan Boechat (2023-04-12). "In Pictures: Siversk, Ukraine Battleground Town". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2023-06-11.
  21. Miller, Christopher. "Russian tank attack in eastern Ukraine kills 2 Americans, Canadian and Swede". Politico. Archived from the original on 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  22. "Two Americans Killed in the Donbass". Atlas News. 2022-07-23. Archived from the original on 2022-07-24. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  23. 1 2 "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  24. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 20". Institute for the Study of War. 20 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  25. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 28". Institute for the Study of War. 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  26. "Ukraine War: Zelensky orders civilians to evacuate Donetsk region". BBC. 31 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.