Battle of Volnovakha

Last updated
Battle of Volnovakha
Part of the eastern Ukraine offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date25 February – 12 March 2022
(2 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Russia.svg Alexei Berngard
Flag of Donetsk People's Republic.svg Vladimir Zhoga   † 		Flag of Ukraine.svg Pavlo Sbytov   †
Units involved

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

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

Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg  Armed Forces of Ukraine

Flag of the National Guard of Ukraine.svg National Guard of Ukraine

Casualties and losses
Ukrainian claim:
50+ soldiers killed
5 soldiers captured
2 tanks and 2 BMPs destroyed
1 tank captured [1]
1 Su-25 destroyed
1 Mi-8 destroyed		Russian claim:
9 tanks destroyed or abandoned
Several BMP and BTR troop carriers destroyed or abandoned
1 Uragan rocket-artillery truck destroyed [1]
1 Su-25 destroyed [2]

The battle of Volnovakha was a military engagement which lasted from 25 February 2022 until 12 March 2022, as part of the Eastern Ukraine offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian and DPR forces engaged Ukrainian forces at the small city of Volnovakha in Donetsk Oblast, which was located close to pre-invasion front line.

Contents

The battle was spearheaded by DPR forces and led to the widespread destruction of the town and heavy casualties on both sides. [3]

Battle

The first shelling of Volnovakha began on 25 February, the second day of the invasion, and hit civilian areas. [4] Electricity also went out in Volnovakha on the second day. [5] The Guardian wrote that Russian bombing of Volnovakha resembled tactics that Russia had previously used on civilian targets in Syria. [6] On that same day, DPR forces captured the nearby town of Mykolaivka. [7]

DPR troops entered Volnovakha on the morning of 26 February, sparking clashes with Ukraine's Aidar Battalion. [1] A tank battle ensued at the Volnovakha bus station, with a Ukrainian servicemen stating that Russian forces lost 50 men in the battle, although they overran Ukrainian positions later on. [1] The clashes and shelling on 26 February killed 20 civilians, with Ukrainian MP Dmytro Lubinets describing how bodies remained uncollected in the streets. [1] [6]

Between 26-28 February, Ukrainian forces retained full control of Volnovakha, although Ukrainian officials stated shelling put the town on the verge of a humanitarian crisis by 28 February. [3] [8] 90% of buildings in the town were either damaged or destroyed by 1 March, with Volnovakha also being cut off from electricity. [9] During those two days, reinforcements on both sides arrived to Volnovakha, with impromptu territorial defense forces and foreign volunteers aiding Ukraine, and Buryat regiments, more brigades, and the DPR's Vostok Battalion all preparing for a second battle. [1] Clashes resumed on 28 February.[ citation needed ]

On 1 March, 346 civilians were evacuated from Volnovakha, with 400 more on 6 March. [10] Ukrainian and Russian forces agreed to the establishment of a demilitarized humanitarian corridor on 7 March through Volnovakha and the nearby city of Mariupol, which had been under siege since 24 February, in order to evacuate civilians from the two cities; however, Russian forces allegedly violated the demilitarization zone. [11]

Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian plane on 3 March, along with the helicopter that came to aid it afterwards. [1] [12] [13] On 5 March, DPR colonel and commander of the Sparta Battalion Vladimir Zhoga was killed in Volnovakha, with his father Artem immediately succeeding him. [14] [15] Vladimir Zhoga was posthumously awarded Hero of the Donetsk People's Republic and Hero of the Russian Federation by Denis Pushilin and Vladimir Putin respectively. [16] [17]

By 11 March, Russian forces effectively controlled Volnovakha, facing only meager Ukrainian resistance. [18] [19] Donetsk Oblast governor Pavlo Kyrylenko stated Volnovakha had "effectively ceased to exist," having been destroyed in the fighting. [20] [21] The Associated Press reported that the city had been captured on 12 March. [22] Later that day, Ukrainian officials reported that Captain Pavlo Sbytov  [ uk ], the commander of the 503rd Marine Battalion, had been killed in battle. [23] [ where? ]

Aftermath

On 14 March, following the battle, a Ukrainian Su-25 was shot down by Russian forces near Volnovakha. The pilot, Roman Vasyliuk, was captured by Russian forces then later released on 24 April during a Russo-Ukrainian prisoner swap. [24] [25] Following Russia's capture of Volnovakha, the local newspaper Nashe slovo ceased publication, as most of the staff had left the city. Lidia Tarash, one of the journalists at the newspaper, was forced to flee after Russian troops targeted her house. [26]

The capture of Volnovakha ensured the closure of Ukrainian supply lines and the beginning of the siege of Mariupol, which lasted until 16 May. [27]

On 1 November, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed a Kadyrovite base and 10 pieces of military equipment near Volnovakha. [28]

On 22 February 2023, chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov described the defeat at Volnovakha as one of the three major Ukrainian defeats during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the other two being the defeat at the battle of Sievierodonetsk and the occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by Russia in 2014. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Volnovakha is a city in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Volnovakha Raion within the oblast. As of January 2022, it had a population of 21,166.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">299th Tactical Aviation Brigade</span> Military unit of the Ukrainian Air Force

The 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade ,"Lieutenant General Vasyl Nikiforov", is a formation of the Ukrainian Air Force based at Kulbakino Air Base, Mykolaiv Oblast. The unit is equipped with Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft and is tasked with providing close air support for the Ukrainian Ground Forces and the Ukrainian Navy. It is subordinated to Air Command South headquartered at Odesa and has some 950 servicemen. Initially the airbase operated solely Su-25s but in November 2007 it inherited some 20 Aero L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft from a disbanded unit. Known operational aircraft as of 2016 are 13 L-39Cs and 23 Su-25s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian separatist forces in Ukraine</span> Pro-Russian paramilitary groups in eastern Ukraine

Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, primarily the People's Militias of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), were pro-Russian paramilitaries in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. They were under the overall control of the Russian Federation. They were also referred to as Russian proxy forces. They were active during the war in Donbas (2014–2022), the first stage of the Russo-Ukrainian War. They then supported the Russian Armed Forces against the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion. In September 2022, Russia annexed the DPR and LPR, and began integrating the paramilitaries into its armed forces. They are designated as terrorist groups by the government of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mariupol (2014)</span> 2014 battle in the war in Donbas

During the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity, the city of Mariupol, in Donetsk Oblast, saw skirmishes break out between Ukrainian government forces, local police, and separatist militants affiliated with the Donetsk People's Republic. Government forces withdrew from Mariupol on 9 May 2014 after heavy fighting left the city's police headquarters gutted by fire. These forces maintained checkpoints outside the city. Intervention by Metinvest steelworkers on 15 May 2014 led to the removal of barricades from the city centre, and the resumption of patrols by local police. Separatists continued to operate a headquarters in another part of the city until their positions were overrun in a government offensive on 13 June 2014.

Insurgents affiliated with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), backed by Russian troops, opened a new front in the war in Donbas on 25 August 2014, when they attacked the Ukrainian government-controlled city of Novoazovsk in southern Donetsk. Government forces were forced to retreat from Novoazovsk to the city of Mariupol, leaving DPR forces in control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offensive on Mariupol (September 2014)</span> Covert, illegal invasion of sovereign nation

In late August and early September 2014, Russian and Russian-backed separatist troops supporting the Donetsk People's Republic advanced on the government-controlled port city of Mariupol in southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. This followed a wide offensive by Russian-allied forces, which led to their capture of Novoazovsk to the east. Fighting reached the outskirts of Mariupol on 6 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volnovakha bus attack</span> Rocket strike on a Ukrainian highway checkpoint

The Volnovakha bus attack was an attack on a highway checkpoint near the village of Buhas outside of the Volnovakha municipality in the Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on 13 January 2015. It resulted in the deaths of 12 passengers of an intercity bus and injuries to 18 others in the area. The attack was the largest single loss of life since the signing of the Minsk Protocol in September 2014, which attempted to halt the War in Donbas. The incident has been labeled an "act of terror" by both the Ukrainian authorities as well as the rebels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack</span> Attack on Mariupol by Russian and separatist forces, on January 24th 2015

A rocket attack on Mariupol was launched on 24 January 2015 by Russian and pro-Russian forces against the strategic maritime city of Mariupol, defended by Ukrainian government forces. Mariupol had come under attack multiple times in the previous year in the course of the War in Donbas, including in May–June 2014, when the city was under the control of Russian controlled forces; and in the September 2014 offensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparta Battalion</span> Russian separatist paramilitary battalion in Donbas

The Sparta Battalion or 80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov is a special purpose unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, unit was part of Russian people's militia military unit of the Russian republic of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. The unit has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas war and the 2022 Russian invasion. Formed in 2014, it was initially led by the Russian-born Arsen Pavlov until his death in October 2016, and then by Vladimir Zhoga, from Sloviansk, until his death in March 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps</span> Paramilitary unit in Ukraine

The Right SectorUkrainian Volunteer Corps or simply the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, was the paramilitary arm of right-wing Ukrainian nationalist party Right Sector. The Ukrainian Volunteer Corps was founded on July 17, 2014, as one of the "volunteer battalions", created as a response to the rise of pro-Russian separatism and the Russian intervention in the war in Donbas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyrokyne standoff</span> 2015 battle in the Donbas war in Ukraine

The Shyrokyne standoff was a battle for the control of the strategic village of Shyrokyne, located approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) east of Mariupol city limits, between Ukrainian forces led by the Azov Regiment, and Russian-backed separatists, between February and July 2015. It was part of the larger war in Donbas. On 10 February 2015, the Azov Regiment launched a surprise offensive against pro-Russian separatists associated with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) with the aim of pushing the separatist forces away from Mariupol city limits. The village is located just 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol, and was used as a launching point for separatist attacks on the city, which served as the administrative centre of Donetsk Oblast whilst DPR forces control Donetsk city. Fighting continued until 3 July 2015, when DPR forces unilaterally withdrew from Shyrokyne. Subsequently a cease-fire was declared in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyrokyne</span> Village in Ukraine

Shyrokyne or Shirokino is a village in the Mariupol Raion of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the war in Donbas (2015)</span> List of events during the war in Donbas in 2015

This is a timeline of the war in Donbas for the year 2015.

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

The siege of Mariupol began on 24 February 2022 and lasted until 20 May, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It saw fighting between the Russian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces for control over the city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. Lasting for almost three months, the siege ended in a victory for Russia and the Donetsk People's Republic, as Ukraine lost control of the city amidst Russia's eastern Ukraine offensive and southern Ukraine offensive; all Ukrainian troops remaining in the city surrendered at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works on 20 May 2022, after they were ordered to cease fighting.

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

Ukraine's easternmost oblasts, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv, have been the site of an ongoing theatre of operation since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero City of Ukraine</span> Honorary title for cities in Ukraine

Hero City of Ukraine is a Ukrainian honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was awarded to ten cities in March 2022, in addition to four already-named Hero Cities of the Soviet Union. This symbolic distinction for a city corresponds to the distinction of Hero of Ukraine awarded to individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">503rd Marine Battalion (Ukraine)</span> Military unit

503rd Separate Marine Bataillon is a bataillon of the 38th Marine Brigade. It was established in late 2015 as a part of the Ukrainian Navy's 36th Marine Brigade as the 701st Marine Battalion but was transferred to the Ukrainian Marine Corps in 2018. It became a part of the 38th Marine Brigade in February 2023 which was established on the basis of the battalion. It is garrisoned at Mariupol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">109th Territorial Defense Brigade (Ukraine)</span> Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces unit

The 109th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces is a military formation of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast. It is part of Operational Command East.

The Battle of Velyka Novosilka was a battle of the Russo-Ukrainian War between the Russian and Ukrainian military from March 2022 to June 2023 in the Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Roblin, Sebastien (9 November 2022). "Ukrainian Veterans Recall Pivotal Tank Battle In Volnovakha". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  2. ↑ "Українського пілота Романа Василюка звільнено з полонуВІЙСЬКОВІ" (in Ukrainian). 25 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 Graham-Harrison, Emma (6 March 2022). "'Nowhere to go and nowhere to go back to': Life under fire in Ukraine". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Trofimov, Yaroslav (2022-03-06). "Ukraine, Russia Agreement on Evacuating Mariupol Civilians Collapses". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  5. ↑ "'Nowhere to go and nowhere to go back to': Life under fire in Ukraine". the Guardian. 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  6. 1 2 "'90% of houses are damaged': Russia's Syria-honed tactics lay waste Ukraine towns". the Guardian. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  7. ↑ Kots, Andrey (26 February 2022). ""We have a special score with them." How the offensive of the DPR army is developing". RIA Novosti . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Russian invasion update: Volnovakha town on verge of humanitarian catastrophe". www.ukrinform.net. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  9. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Mariupol and Volnovakha: Besieged cities appeal for help | DW | 05.03.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  10. ↑ "Almost 500 people evacuated from Volnovakha to safe place". www.ukrinform.net. March 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  11. ↑ "Russia announces temporary ceasefire in two Ukrainian cities". The Independent. 2022-03-07. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  12. ↑ "Гелікоптер, який хотів евакуювати збитого російського пілота теж знищили". Ukrainian MOD (in Ukrainian). 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Russian Forces Now Occupy Europe's Largest Nuclear Plant In Ukraine". The Drive. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022. Earlier today, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense published a photo of the wreckage of a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft, a type that has apparently already seen extensive use with both sides during the conflict. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter that may have arrived on the scene of the crash to assist was in turn brought down by Ukrainian air defenses. At this stage, this is only speculation, however.
  14. ↑ ""Спарту" возглавил Артем Жога — отец убитого нацистами Героя ДНР". EADaily (in Russian). 6 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  15. ↑ "Controlling the narrative: Russia tightens grip on media amid war". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  16. ↑ "Ukrainian Forces have Killed the Commander of the Sparta Battalion - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  17. ↑ "Путин присвоил звание Героя России посмертно командиру батальону "Спарта" Владимиру Жоге". tass.ru (in Russian). 6 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  18. ↑ Tim Lister (2022-03-11). "Evidence indicates Volnovakha in eastern Ukraine has fallen to Russian-backed forces". CNN. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  19. ↑ "Russian-backed separatists capture Ukraine's Volnovakha - RIA". Reuters. 2022-03-11. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  20. ↑ Richard Spencer (March 13, 2022). "Putin wipes out entire Ukrainian city of Volnovakha". The Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha destroyed after Russia invasion, local governor says". Reuters. March 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Heavy fighting leaves much of Volnovakha in ruins". Euronews. Associated Press. March 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Ukrainian marine commander killed fighting Russian invaders". Newsweek. 2022-03-12. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  24. ↑ "Українського пілота Романа Василюка звільнено з полонуВІЙСЬКОВІ" (in Ukrainian). 25 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "Збили ворожі ППО над Волновахою: українського пілота Романа Василюка звільнили з полону". 26 TV Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 25 April 2022.
  26. ↑ ECPMF (2023-01-04). ""If I had stayed in Volnovakha, I would have ended up in jail" – Lidia Tarash, Voices of Ukraine". European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  27. ↑ "'Why? Why? Why?' Ukraine's Mariupol descends into despair". The Seattle Times. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  28. ↑ "Explosions thundered in the Volnovakha area, and a base of Kadyrovites was destroyed". odessa-journal.com. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  29. ↑ "Одна з найбільших поразок українців — це прорив росіян в районі Волновахи: ГУР". Volnovakha.City (in Ukrainian). 22 February 2023.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.