The Shyrokyne standoff was a battle for the control of the strategic village of Shyrokyne, located approximately east of Mariupol city limits, between Ukrainian forces led by the

Azov Regiment The Special Operations Detachment "Azov" (), also known as the Azov Regiment ( uk, Полк «Азов», translit=Polk "Azov") and formerly the Azov Battalion ( uk, батальйон «Азов», translit=Batalion "Azov"), is a unit of the ...

, and Russian-backed separatists, between February and July 2015. It was part of the larger

War in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. 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 from the Ukrainian-controlled city of

Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast ( Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russia ...

, 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 Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...

city. Fighting continued until 3 July 2015, when DPR forces unilaterally withdrew from Shyrokyne. Subsequently a cease-fire was declared in the area.

Background

Mariupol had come under attack several times over the course of the

, including in May–June 2014, when pro-Russian forces controlled the city, and in September 2014, when separatist forces tried to recapture the city prior to the signing of the

Minsk Protocol The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. The first, known ...

. A separatist rocket attack, launched from the area around Shyrokyne on 24 January 2015, killed thirty civilians in Ukrainian-controlled Mariupol proper. Following this attack, Ukrainian forces, led by the

, began an offensive to stop the separatists from launching similar attacks.

Events

Ukrainian offensive

Pavlopol-Shirokino offensive operation 2

Following the 24 January rocket attack, it became clear that Mariupol was vulnerable to further separatist attacks. Ukrainian forces said on 7 February that the DPR was massing forces for an attack on Mariupol. In response to these threats to the security of Mariupol, the

National Guard of Ukraine The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; uk, Націона́льна гва́рдія Украї́ни, Natsionalna hvardiia Ukrainy, , ) is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and Internal Troops, internal military force. It is part of the Minist ...

, the

, and other Ukrainian volunteer groups launched an offensive to the east of the city, along the coast of the Azov Sea, toward

Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),Ukrainian government The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...

said that the offensive was intended to eliminate insurgent positions near Mariupol, so as to stop shelling, and to regain positions demarcated as Ukrainian under the

. Azov Regiment members, on the other hand, said that the goal of the offensive was to retake

Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),a battle there in August 2014. The new Ukrainian offensive outside Mariupol came as DPR and LPR forces were assaulting the strategic town of

Debaltseve Debaltseve or Debaltsevo ( uk, Деба́льцеве ''Debálʼtseve'', ; russian: Деба́льцево ''Debálʼtsevo'') is a city of regional significance in the ''de facto'' Donetsk People's Republic; ''de jure'' Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. T ...

, to the north. Accordingly, the offensive was also intended to relieve pressure on Debaltseve by forcing the insurgents divert manpower and weaponry to the southern part of the line of contact. After breaking through DPR lines, the Azov Regiment managed to quickly capture the towns of Shyrokyne, Pavlopil, and Kominternove, and began to advance toward Novoazovsk. According to the battalion, Ukrainian flags were raised in Shyrokyne, Pavlopil and Oktyabr. Ukrainian forces pushed the separatists back to Sakhanka, about north-east of Shyrokyne, where DPR forces held the line. Ukrainian and DPR forces continued to fight at Sakhanka on 11 February, as Ukrainian forces led by the Azov Regiment attempted to secure the village. According to Ukrainian president

Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko se ...

, the advance by Ukrainian forces into Sakhanka "moved the frontline to correspond exactly to the Minsk memorandum as a result of the counter-offensive". Shyrokyne was heavily bombarded by DPR artillery on 12 February. According to the Azov Regiment, the separatists had launched an all-out counter-offensive to curtail the Ukrainian advance, deploying tanks and artillery. Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses amidst the bombardment, and the Battalion said that "Shyrokyne has been virtually wiped out" by the artillery fire. Subsequently, the Azov Regiment was forced to retreat from Sakhanka to Shyrokyne, leaving it under DPR control. Due to the fighting in the area around Shyrokyne, local emergency authorities evacuated all civilians from the Ukrainian government-controlled parts of

Novoazovsk Raion Novoazovsk Raion ( uk, Новоазовський район, link=no, ; russian: Новоазовский район, link=no, ) was one of the administrative raions (a ''district'') of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. The raion was abolished ...

to Mariupol. EastCorps(cropped)

Minsk II

A new ceasefire agreement, called

Minsk II The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. The first, know ...

, was signed on 12 February. According to the agreement, a total ceasefire across the Donbas was to begin at midnight on 15 February. Despite this, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and twenty-two were wounded in a DPR attack at Shyrokyne on 16 February. By the 21st of February, the Ukrainian government said that separatist forces were once again massing for a new offensive on Mariupol. NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that DPR forces were "conducting sabotage and intelligence operations round the clock to test government defences" in the area around Shyrokyne. DPR forces in Sakhanka had dug in, whilst those in and Bezimenne had established a base of operations in some houses there. Ukrainian officials said that

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

had sent tanks and soldiers toward

Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

team said it saw men who "looked like Russian military special forces wearing Russian army patches and insignia on their uniforms" at Bezimenne. DPR forces recaptured the villages of Pavlopil and Pyshchevyk on 25 February. According to a Ukrainian official, these villages were in the buffer zone established by

, and hence had not been occupied by Ukrainian forces. Sporadic fighting continued in the Shyrokyne area, and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' reported exchanges of artillery and machine gun fire. A local commander of the

Donbas Battalion , image = Emblem of the Donbas Battalion.svg , image_size = 200 , caption = Donbas Battalion emblem , start_date = , country = , alle ...

said that his forces had engaged the separatists, destroying an anti-aircraft gun and a petrol tanker. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers began to build a second defensive line in the adjacent village of Berdyanske, which lies just to the west of Shyrokyne. Continued concerns about a potential separatist offensive on Mariupol were bolstered by a report on 27 February that said that DPR heavy weaponry had been seen leaving

in the direction of Mariupol. Sporadic exchanges of fire continued over the next few days. The next major outbreak of fighting occurred on 9 March, when Ukrainian forces said that the DPR had launched a hail of tank and mortar fire onto Ukrainian positions in Shyrokyne. They said that the DPR was attempting to "force Ukrainian contingents from Shyrokyne". Whilst Ukrainian troops continued to hold the line, DPR forces managed to gain control of about 30 percent of the village by 21 March. By the end of the month, between 50 and 60 percent of Shyrokyne had been destroyed in the fighting. On 5 April, a landmine exploded under a military vehicle at Shyrokyne killing two soldiers and injuring a third, a military spokesman said on the TV channel 112. On 13 April, it was confirmed the separatists had captured the village of Vodyane, seven kilometers east of Mariupol, after it was in the middle of a no man's land for almost a month following a retreat by government troops. The next day, a Russian journalist was injured by a landmine in Skyrokyne during a tour as some of the heaviest fighting since February erupted. By 16 April, separatists were in control of much of Shyrokyne. On 18 April, a Georgian member of the Azov Regiment was killed in fighting near Shyrokyne. In late April, Deutsche Welle reported that pro-Russian militants had set up positions in the centre of Shyrokyne and that the OSCE and Red Cross were not always granted access. On 26 April, the OSCE observed what it assessed to be the most intense shelling in Shyrokyne since February. It also reported Pavlopil and Pyshchevyk to be once again government-held. On 5 May, 12 hours of sustained separatist attacks in Shyrokyne against Ukrainian positions near the beach took place, after a one-hour tank assault was launched, followed by constant firefights. In mid-June, as the Ukrainian president visited government lines at Mariupol, more fighting near Shyrokyne left one soldier dead and two wounded.

Separatist withdrawal

On 1 July, separatist forces proclaimed Shyrokyne to be a demilitarized zone and withdrew from the village.

Denis Pushilin Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...

, the self-declared Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Donetsk People's Republic, stated that the decision to withdraw forces from Shyrokyne was made "as an act of good will and the demonstration of peaceful intentions." On 3 July, the Ukrainian government confirmed the separatists had withdrawn from the village. According to Andriy Biletsky, commander of Ukraine's

which launched the offensive to seize the village in February 2015, the DNR's decision to leave was not due to their willingness to follow the Minsk agreement but due to the heavy casualties suffered by the separatists while battling to hold the village. OSCE observers confirmed areas of the village previously held by the "DNR" had been vacated, stating they "observed no armed formation in the village, except for some Ukrainian Armed Forces positions at the village's south-western edge." As of 7 July, neither side controlled Shyrokyne as the Azov Regiment was holding positions on a nearby hill, while the separatists pulled back to another hill outside the village. Ukrainian fighters of the

Right Sector Right Sector ( uk, Пра́вий се́ктор, ''Pravyi sektor'') is a right-wing to far-right, Ukrainian nationalist organization. It originated in November 2013 as a right-wing, paramilitary confederation of several radical nationalist org ...

Ukrainian Volunteer Corps The Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps () or simply the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps (), is the paramilitary arm of far-right Ukrainian nationalist party Right Sector. The Ukrainian Volunteer Corps was founded on July 17, 2014, as one of the " ...

group said that they would ignore any order to withdraw from the village, despite calls for it to become a demilitarised zone. A local Right Sector commander said that a withdrawal from Shyrokyne would expose Mariupol to attack, and that "only enemies of Ukraine can give an order to withdraw".

Aftermath, demilitarization

On 29 July, the volunteer battalions Azov and Donbas left their positions at the village and were replaced with a unit of active duty marines. The decision to pull out the Donbas battalion from Shyrokyne was met with protests from residents of Mariupol, who feared that the withdrawal would lead to Russian separatists quickly retaking the village and once again begin shelling the city. In early August, Ukrainian, Russian and OSCE representatives started forming a blueprint on the demilitarization of Shyrokyne. This was reportedly met with opposition from Mariupol residents and volunteer fighters, but the Ukrainian president stated that Ukrainian troops would remain on the heights outside the town. More skirmishes took place mid-August at Starohnativka, north of Mariupol, when two Ukrainian Marines were killed. Later that month, as negotiations were still being conducted for the demilitarization of the town, the Ukrainian Chief of General Staff commented that Shyrokyne had 'no military value'. This sparked outrage among some Ukrainian activists and volunteer soldiers. As of mid-September, Shyrokyne had become a demilitarized zone and Ukrainian forces were preventing civilians from returning to their homes due to a large number of explosive devices remaining in the area. Ukrainian military and separatist positions continued to be apart. On 25 February 2016, the Ukrainian military claimed that the separatists abandoned all of their positions around Shyrokyne, allowing them to take control of the town. According to the military, the retreating separatists extensively mined and booby trapped the area, with Ukrainian bomb squads still neutralizing these threats as of March 2016. Earlier, the OSCE stated that it was impossible for civilians to live in Shyrokyne.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shyrokyne Standoff (February-July 2015) Battles in 2015 Battles of the war in Donbas 2015 in Ukraine History of Donetsk Oblast Battles involving the Donetsk People's Republic