Offensive on Mariupol (September 2014)

Last updated
Offensive on Mariupol (September 2014)
Part of the War in Donbas (2014–2022)
Ukrainian army armoured personal carrier in Mariupol.jpg
The Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, 5 September 2014
Date4–8 September 2014
(4 days)
Location
Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Result

Ukrainian victory

Belligerents
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of the Donetsk People's Republic.svg  Donetsk People's Republic
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Ukraine.svg Petro Poroshenko
Flag of the Azov Battalion.svg Andriy Biletsky 		Flag of the Donetsk People's Republic.svg Alexander Zakharchenko
Units involved

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

Emblema MVD Ukrainy.svg Internal Affairs Ministry:

Flag of Donbass People's Militia.svg Donbass People's Militia
Strength
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 7 tanks
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 12+ APCs
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 10+ trucks [1]
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 500 infantry		Flag of Donbass People's Militia.svg 30+ tanks
Casualties and losses
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 3 tanks destroyed
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 1 truck destroyed
Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg 1 tank abandoned [2] 		Flag of Donbass People's Militia.svg 2 tanks destroyed
Flag of Donbass People's Militia.svg 2 trucks destroyed or abandoned [3] [4]
Flag of the Donetsk People's Republic.svg 8 Russian civilians killed[ citation needed ]

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.

Contents

Events

Russian/DPR advance

A column of Russian tanks and military vehicles was reported to have crossed into Ukraine on 25 August near Novoazovsk located on the Azov sea, heading towards Ukrainian-held Mariupol, [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] in an area that had not seen pro-Russian presence for weeks. [10] The Bellingcat investigation revealed some details of this operation. Some of the tanks were bearing the distinct Russian railway transport marks. [11] Russian forces captured the city of Novoazovsk. [12] and Russian soldiers began arresting and deporting to unknown locations all Ukrainians who did not have an address registered within the town. [13] Pro-Ukrainian anti-war protests took place in Mariupol which was threatened by Russian troops. [13] [14] The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. [15] The Ukrainian soldiers that left Novoazovsk retreated to Mariupol. Many citizens left Mariupol due to fear of an attack.

On 4 September, Ukrainian forces engaged the enemy troops, who came from the village of Bezimenne, between the villages of Shirokino and Berdyanske. [16] One separatist tank and a truck were destroyed, while another separatist truck was left abandoned. [3] [17]

On 5 September, fighting primarily raged in the village of Shirokino, while clashes once again took place at Bezimenne. The clashes over the previous two days had left seven civilians dead.[ citation needed ] Also, the Azov battalion started to train Mariupol citizens in self-defense and organize popular militias to defend the city. [18] About a dozen of Ukrainian army APCs arrived with men and ammunition to help the defense battalions to defend the city. More heavy fighting was reported in Mariupol despite the ceasefire agreement. Ukrainian forces shelled DPR positions near Mariupol, and claimed to have repelled an attack. separatist forces claimed they entered Mariupol, which Ukraine denied. [19]

Fighting in the outskirts

On 5 September, seven Ukrainian Army T-64 tanks reputedly faced in battle 30 tanks, allegedly Russian T-80s. The Ukrainians repelled the attack but lost four tanks and retreated with the three remaining to the Army checkpoint on the outskirts of Mariupol. The commander of the Ukrainian tank brigade was in a state of post-shock but the three surviving tanks were reloaded with ammunition so they could return to the battlefield. [20]

On 7 September, DPR artillery fire destroyed a Ukrainian military truck at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the town. A civilian was also killed in the shelling. [21] The Azov Battalion also captured a tank near Mariupol, while the crew escaped. [4] The same day, it was confirmed DPR forces had captured Shirokino. [22]

On 8 September, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited Mariupol, telling steelworkers that Ukrainian forces had secured the city with tanks, howitzers, anti-tank guns and other weapons should the separatists violate the ceasefire. He also promised a "crushing defeat" on the separatists if they advanced on the city. [23]

Aftermath

Mariupol. 2014-2015. Military and political events. Mariupol 2014-2015 en.jpg
Mariupol. 2014–2015. Military and political events.

On October 23, 2014, prime minister of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko vowed to retake the cities it had lost, stating "Periods of intense hostilities will follow. We will retake Slaviansk, Kramatorsk and Mariupol. Unfortunately, it was impossible to make peaceful settlement the focus of negotiations. We are the only ones who comply with the regime of silence." [24]

On October 29, 2014, Mariupol city authorities said that Ukrainian positions in the village of Talakivka came under Grad and rocket fire from DPR forces. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Novoazovsk is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine, in Kalmiuske Raion (district), in Donetsk Oblast (province). Population: 11,051 ; 12,702 (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Guard of Ukraine</span> Internal troops and militarised police force of Ukraine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Donbas</span> 2014–2022 war between Ukraine and Russia

The war in Donbas, or Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The war began 12 April 2014, when a fifty-man commando unit headed by Russian citizen Igor Girkin seized Sloviansk in Donetsk oblast. The Ukrainian military launched an operation against them. It continued until it was subsumed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azov Brigade</span> Ukrainian National Guard brigade

The Azov Assault Brigade is a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine formerly based in Mariupol, in the coastal region of the Sea of Azov, from which it derives its name. It was founded in May 2014 as the Azov Battalion, a self-funded volunteer militia under the command of Andriy Biletsky, to fight Russian-backed forces in the Donbas War. It was formally incorporated into the National Guard on 11 November 2014, and redesignated Special Operations Detachment "Azov", also known as the Azov Regiment. In February 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that Azov was to be expanded as a brigade of the new Offensive Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donbas Battalion</span> Unit of the National Guard of Ukraine

The 2nd Battalion of Special Assignment "Donbas" is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and based in Severodonetsk. Originally created in 2014 as a volunteer unit called the Donbas Battalion by Semen Semenchenko following the Russian occupation of Crimea and possible invasion of continental Ukraine. The formation of the unit started in the spring of 2014 during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The unit was initially formed as an independent force, but has been since fully integrated into the National Guard as the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion "Donbas" within the 15th Regiment of the National Guard.

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

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

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<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.

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References

  1. ↑ "Ceasefire Ends as Pro-Russia Forces Shell Ukrainian Tanks: Russian Roulette (Dispatch 77)". YouTube. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ukraine ceasefire breached in Donetsk and Mariupol". the Guardian. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 "ЭКСКЛЮЗИВ! 2 часа назад: Трасса Донецк-Мариуполь горит военная техника! Донецк, Луганск". YouTube. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 "The ATO Forces captured a Russian tank near Mariupol". Information Resistance. 7 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Jim Heintz (25 August 2014). "Ukraine: Russian Tank Column Enters Southeast". Abcnews. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Ukraine crisis: 'Column from Russia' crosses border". BBC News. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson (26 August 2014). "Russian Separatists Open New Front in Southern Ukraine". National Public Radio (NPR). Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Kramer, Andrew. "Ukraine Says Russian Forces Lead Major New Offensive in East". CNBC. Archived from the original on 28 August 2014. Tanks, artillery and infantry have crossed from Russia into an unbreached part of eastern Ukraine in recent days, attacking Ukrainian forces and causing panic and wholesale retreat not only in this small border town but a wide swath of territory, in what Ukrainian and Western military officials are calling a stealth invasion.
  9. ↑ Tsevtkova, Maria (26 August 2014). "'Men in green' raise suspicions of east Ukrainian villagers". Reuters. Unidentified, heavily-armed strangers with Russian accents have appeared in an eastern Ukrainian village, arousing residents' suspicions despite Moscow's denials that its troops have deliberately infiltrated the frontier.
  10. ↑ Lowe, Christian; Tsvetkova, Maria; Zverev, Anton; Zinets, Natalia; Balmforth, Richard; Prentice, Alessandra; Ustinova, Tatiana; Devitt, Polina; Apps, Peter (26 August 2014). Elgood, Giles (ed.). "Exclusive – In Ukraine, an armoured column appears out of nowhere". Reuters . Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. ↑ Sean Case; Klement Anders; Aric Toler; Eliot Higgins. "The Burning Road to Mariupol" (PDF). Bellingcat. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Gowen, Annie; Gearan, Anne (28 August 2014). "Russian armored columns said to capture key Ukrainian towns". The Washington Post . Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  13. 1 2 "NATO: 1000 rosyjskich żołnierzy działa na Ukrainie. A Rosja znów: Nie przekraczaliśmy granicy [NA ŻYWO]". gazeta.pl (in Polish). 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "BBC:Ukraine crisis: 'Thousands of Russians' fighting in east, August 28". BBC News. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "U.S. says Russia has 'outright lied' about Ukraine". USA Today. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Militia starts reconnaissance in force near Mariupol". Russia Beyond the Headlines. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Adam Button (4 Sep 2014). "Explosions heard, black plumes of smoke seen just east of Mariupol Port in Ukraine – RTRS witness". news.forexlive.com. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Azov Battalion trains Mariupol residents in self-defense tactics". KyivPost. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "Ukraine fighting subsides after ceasefire agreement". The Irish Times. Reuters. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  20. ↑ Оleh Мysko (6 September 2014). Сім українських танків дали героїчний бій 30-ти російським Т-80 під Маріуполем [Seven Ukrainian tanks battled heroically against 30 Russian T-80 tanks near Mariupol] (in Ukrainian). uapress.info. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  21. ↑ "Woman Killed in Mariupol as Shelling Frays Ukraine Cease-fire". NBC News.
  22. ↑ Под Широкино концентрируются российские войска [Russian troops are concentrated at Shirokino]. podrobnosti.ua. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  23. ↑ Aleksandar Vasovic; Gabriela Baczynska (8 September 2014). "Ukraine president visits frontline city amid 'shaky' ceasefire". Reuters. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Ukraine rebels end ceasefire before polls". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  25. ↑ "Mariupol authorities report shelling of Ukrainian positions near town". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
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