Battle of Sviatohirsk

Last updated

Battle of Sviatohirsk
Part of the eastern Ukraine offensive's battle of Donbas in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Russian weaponry destroyed in the Second Battle of Sviatohirsk.jpg
Russian weaponry destroyed following the Ukrainian recapture of Sviatohirsk
Date30 May – 8 June 2022
(1 week and 2 days first battle)
10 September – 12 September 2022
(2 days; second battle)
Location
Status

Russian victory (first battle) [1]
Ukrainian victory (second battle)

Contents

  • Russian forces captured the town by June 8
  • Ukrainian forces recapture the town by September 12
Belligerents
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Units involved

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

Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg  Ukrainian Armed Forces

Territorial Defence Forces branch SSI.svg Territorial Defense Forces

Ukrainian interior ministry's special battalion <<Sich>> logo.png Sich Battalion
Casualties and losses
UnknownRussian claim:
300+ killed [5]

The battle of Sviatohirsk was a military engagement near the city of Sviatohirsk between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the battle for Donbas in 2022.

Background

Some Russian attacks on Izium started taking place from 28 February 2022, with continued rocket strikes by the Russian military starting on 3 March. Eight civilians were killed on 3 March, with the town's central hospital reportedly sustaining significant damage. [6] On 1 April, the Ukrainian military confirmed Izium was under Russian control. [7] [8] [9] The following day, in an interview for Ukrinform , Izium's Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Matsokin claimed that 80% of the city's residential buildings had been destroyed and that there was no power, heating, or water in the city. Kreminna was the first city to fall during the Donbas Offensive that was announced by Russia on 18 April. The Governor of Luhansk Oblast, Serhiy Haidai, reported that 200 civilians were killed, but there could have been more. Ukrainian officials reported on 25 April that Russian forces were killed in an explosion in the Kreminna City Hall by a gas explosion. [10] Russian forces control the city. Fighting continued throughout the night, with heavy artillery fire being shot around the streets. Russian forces later captured the city hall on the 19 April.[ citation needed ] That evening, Haidai reported that the remaining Ukrainian troops withdrew, giving Russian troops full control of the city. [11] By 27 May, most of the city of Lyman came under Russian control. [12]

Battles

On 30 May 2022, as a result of shelling of the town of Sviatohirsk, the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra was damaged, two monks of this monastery and a nun were killed, three monks were injured. [13] On the evening of 30 May, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a much more massive ground attack with fierce artillery strikes on the city. During the day on 31 May, the infantry troops of the Russian Federation launched an assault on Sviatohirsk with the aim of encircling the entire city and forming a cauldron. [13]

On 4 June, a large-scale fire broke out in the grounds of the Holy Dormition Lavra, and the flames engulfed the main shrine of the monastery; the Ukrainians blamed Russian forces for starting the fire. [14]

Bridge between Sviatohirsk and Lavra, destroyed in June 2022 Sviatohirsk after battles (2022-12-20) 01.jpg
Bridge between Sviatohirsk and Lavra, destroyed in June 2022

During 3-4 June, the strikes became more intense. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced on 6 June that it had taken full control over the city of Sviatohirsk and Sviatohirsk Lavra. [16] On 8 June, the ISW confirmed that Russian forces had advanced to the city, but acknowledged it was unclear if their forces have entirely seized Sviatohirsk. [17] On 9 June, Ukrainian media claimed that Russian forces had captured a part of the city and that another western section was still in Ukrainian control. [18] However, later reports confirmed the town had been seized by the Russian military. [1]

Aftermath

On 10 September, shortly after the recapture of Izium by Ukrainian troops, Russian sources reported that an attack was being conducted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the town of Svyatohirsk. On the 12th, the Ukrainian National Guard reported that they had recaptured the town. [19]

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, a place of illegal detention of people was found near the Sviatohirsk Lavra, with items indicating signs of torture. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sievierodonetsk</span> City in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine

Sievierodonetsk, also spelled Severodonetsk, is a city in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the Donets river and approximately 110 km (68 mi) to the northwest from the administrative center of the oblast, Luhansk. Sievierodonetsk faces neighbouring Lysychansk across the river. The city, whose name comes from the above-mentioned river, had a population of 99,067, making it then the second-most populous city in the oblast. Since June 2022, it has been militarily occupied and administered by Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kreminna</span> City in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine

Kreminna is a city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it served as the administrative center of former Kreminna Raion. Its population was estimated at 18,116, as of January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sviatohirsk</span> City in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

Sviatohirsk or Svyatogorsk is a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. A part of the Sloviansk Municipality, it stands on the banks of the Siverskyi Donets River, 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the city of Sloviansk. The population is 4,226. The 16th-century Sviatohirsk Lavra Monastery is located in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sviatohirsk Lavra</span> Eastern Orthodox monastery in eastern Ukraine

The Holy Mountains Lavra of the Holy Dormition is a major Orthodox Christian monastery on the steep right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River. The name comes from the surrounding Holy Mountains; the Holy Dormition is another term for the death of the Virgin Mary.

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

Ukraine's easternmost oblasts, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv, are the site of a theatre of operation in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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

The battle of Rubizhne was a military engagement that started on 15 March 2022 and ended on 12 May 2022 during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive and the battle of Donbas.

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

The battle of Izium was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine that occurred as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The battle started in March 2022 for control of the town of Izium due to the town's importance as a transportation node. The Russian military wanted to capture Izium so its forces in Kharkiv Oblast could link up with their troops in the Donbas region.

<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 was 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.

The battle of Popasna was a military engagement during the Eastern Ukraine campaign as part of the Battle of the Donbas, the battle began on 3 March 2022 and ended on 7 May 2022.

The battle of Kreminna was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine over the Eastern Ukrainian city of Kreminna. It is regarded as the first battle during the battle of Donbas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bohorodychne</span> Village in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

Bohorodychne is a village in Kramatorsk Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast of south-eastern Ukraine, at about 120 kilometres (75 mi) north-northwest from the centre of Donetsk city, on the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets river.

<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 Toshkivka</span> Battle in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Toshkivka was an armed conflict around the city of Toshkivka, a mountainous municipality in the Sievierodonetsk Raion of Luhansk Oblast, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 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.

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

The battle of Balakliia was part of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive that began on September 6, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izium mass graves</span> Mass graves found near Izium during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 15 September 2022, several mass graves, including one site containing at least 440 bodies, were found in woods near the Ukrainian city of Izium after it was recaptured by Ukrainian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The graves contained bodies of people who were killed by Russian forces. The Ukrainian government believes that over 1,000 people were killed during the battle for and subsequent Russian occupation of Izium.

<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 19 September 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–Bilohorivka 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 after of which the front line froze over the next few months.

References

  1. 1 2 "Russia's war in Ukraine | Mayor of captured Ukrainian town switches sides". CNN. 14 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cooper, Tom (29 May 2022). "Ukraine War, 26–29 May 2022". Medium. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  3. "Ukraine resists Russia's invasion. Day 23: Russian troops not able to advance, more terror against civilians, Russia to brandish nuclear weapons". 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. "Exhausted Ukrainian soldiers return from eastern front". France 24. 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  5. Ukraine suffering "significant losses" in Donbas, says Russian military
  6. "Ukraine: Beleaguered town of Izium at breaking point after constant attack from Russian forces - new testimony". Amnesty International. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  7. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 1 | Institute for the Study of War". understandingwar.org. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  8. Свобода, Радіо (April 2022). "На Київщині ЗСУ звільнили 15 населених пунктів – зведення Генерального штабу". Радіо Свобода. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  9. "The russians are controlling Izyum – General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces". mil.in.ua. Archived from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  10. "Luhansk Military Administration: Russian occupiers and their collaborators die in an explosion in Kreminna City Hall". Pravda.com.ua. 2022-04-25. Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  11. Lock, Samantha; Anguiano, Dani; Luscombe, Richard; Chao-Fong, Léonie; Belam, Martin (20 April 2022). "Russian forces seize Kreminna in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region - as it happened". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  12. "Russia captures strategically important town ahead of 'next stage' of Ukraine invasion: UK intelligence". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  13. 1 2 "The monks of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the UOC were killed and wounded while the bombing". Raskolam.net. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  14. Balevic, Katie. "A temple in Ukraine's Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery is on fire after Russian attack, Zelenskyy adviser says". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  15. "В Святогірську підірвали міст через Сіверський Донець (ВІДЕО)". Вільне радіо. 2022-06-07.
  16. "Russia urges Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their weapons". Archived from the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  17. "Institute for the Study of War". RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JUNE 8. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  18. "Частина Святогірська під окупацією, ДБР розслідує можливу держзраду мера - чим це загрожує" (in Ukrainian). 9 June 2022.
  19. "Ukraine's National Guard confirms recapture of Sviatohirsk". Ukrinform. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  20. "SBU finds another rashist torture chamber near one of the largest shrines in the Donetsk region". Religious Information Service of Ukraine. Institute of Religion and Society of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Retrieved 15 October 2022.