The northeastern Ukraine campaign was a theatre of operation from 24 February to 8 April 2022 in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of two provinces (

oblasts An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom ...

) in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

—

Chernihiv Oblast Chernihiv Oblast ( uk, Черні́гівська о́бласть, translit=Chernihivska oblast; also referred to as Chernihivshchyna, uk, Черні́гівщина, translit=Chernihivshchyna) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. T ...

and

Sumy Oblast Sumy Oblast ( uk, Сумська́ о́бласть, translit=Sumska oblast; also referred to as Sumshchyna – uk, Су́мщина) is an oblast (province) in the northeastern part of Ukraine. Population: The oblast was created in its most ...

. On 4 April 2022, Ukrainian authorities said that

Russian troops The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

had mostly withdrawn from

and no longer occupied any towns or villages in the area. Later that evening Ukrainian authorities claimed that Russian forces had withdrawn from

, which was confirmed by the

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek language, Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is ...

by 6 April. In addition, it took place from February 24th to May 14th in

Kharkiv Oblast Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Харківська́ о́бласть, translit=Kharkivska oblast), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna ( uk, Ха́рківщина), is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhan ...

. On 14 May, the ISW reported that: “Ukraine thus appears to have won the battle of Kharkiv.” The Mayor of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Kharkiv airport Kharkiv International Airport ( uk, Міжнародний аеропорт "Харків") is an airport located in Kharkiv, Ukraine. It is the main airfield serving the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. It is located to the sout ...

, but the missile was eliminated by Ukrainian Air Defence."

Overview

The northeastern Ukraine

offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

was a major thrust by

Russian armed forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

on February 24, 2022, into

Chernihiv Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...

and Sumy oblasts and their administrative capitals—

and

Sumy Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...

. Chernihiv was under siege for more than five weeks. The Ukrainians lost a

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

for control of

's second city,

Konotop Konotop ( uk, Конотоп ) is a city in Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine. Konotop serves as the administrative center of Konotop Raion. Konotop is located about 129 km from Sumy, the oblast administrative center. It is host to K ...

, 90 kilometers from the Russian border, on 25 February. A separate advance into

the same day attacked the city of

, just from the Russo-Ukrainian border. The Russian advance bogged down in

urban fighting Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and ...

, and Ukrainian forces successfully held the city. According to Ukrainian sources, more than 100 Russian

armoured vehicles Military vehicles are commonly armoured (or armored; see spelling differences) to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, shells, rockets, and missiles, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured fighti ...

were destroyed and dozens of soldiers were captured. Russian forces also attacked Okhtyrka, deploying

thermobaric weapon A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, a vacuum bomb or a fuel air explosive (FAE), is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. The fuel–air explosive is one of the b ...

s. While the battle of

raged, Russian forces moved west along highways from

, reaching

Brovary Brovary ( uk, Бровари, , yi, בראָוואַר, Brovar) is a city in Kyiv Oblast (Region) in northern Ukraine, an eastern suburb of the country's capital, Kyiv. It is the administrative centre of Brovary Raion (district). Brovary ...

, an eastern suburb of Kyiv, on 4 March. In an assessment of the campaign on 4 March, Frederick Kagan wrote that the "

axis is currently the most successful and dangerous Russian avenue of advance on

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

." He noted that the geography favored mechanized advances as the terrain "is flat and sparsely populated, offering few good defensive positions." According to the

Institute for the Study of War The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a United States–based think tank founded in 2007 by Kimberly Kagan, providing research and analysis regarding issues of defense and foreign affairs. It has produced reports on the Syrian War, the W ...

, since Russian forces failed to secure any new territory in the theater after 8 March, it is possible that they redeployed forces from eastern

to defend against Ukrainian counterattacks in

. On 2 April 2022 all of

Kyiv Oblast Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...

, including

, was declared free of invaders by the

Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * S ...

after

left the area. On 4 April 2022

had mostly withdrawn from

and no longer occupied any towns or villages in the area. Later in the day Ukrainian authorities said

had also withdrawn from

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

confirmed on 6 April that the Russian army had left

, but

remained contested. On 7 April,

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi Dmytro Oleksiyovych Zhyvytskyi ( uk, Дмитро Олексійович Живицький; born on 17 September 1982), is a Ukrainian politician, entrepreneur, public figure, and civil servant who has been the Governor of Sumy Oblast since ...

, governor of

, said that all

had left the region, but the territory was still unsafe due to rigged explosives and other ammunition

had left behind. On 14 May, the ISW reported that “Ukraine thus appears to have won the battle of

, but the missile was eliminated by Ukrainian Air Defence."

Timeline

February

24 February

After Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime m ...

announced a ' Special military operation in Ukraine' Russian forces crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border and began advancing towards

Bayraktar TB2 The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.� ...

drones. According to

OSINT Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (covert and publicly available sources) to produce actionable intelligence. OSINT is primarily used in national security, law enforcement, and bus ...

information the attack left damage to fuel storage areas and infrastructure. Near

, Russian forces struck Pivka airfield. There were tank battles on the outskirts of

and near

Baturin Baturyn ( uk, Бату́рин, ), is a historic city in Chernihiv Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located in Nizhyn Raion (district) on the banks of the Seym River. Baturyn lost its city status in 1923 and received it back only in 2 ...

25 February

At 01:39, Russian forces reportedly retreated from the city of

, while Ukraine lost control of the city of

the following day; the oblast's second largest city, from the Russian border, was attacked and captured by Russian forces. and Russian forces also entered

Chuhuiv Chuhuiv ( uk, Чугуїв) or Chuguev (russian: Чугуев) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Chuhuiv Raion (district). It hosts the administration of Chuhuiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of ...

. By the second day, Russian forces were present in or near

Snovsk Snovsk ( uk, Сновськ ) is a city in Koriukivka Raion, Chernihiv Oblast (province) of Ukraine. Population: It hosts the administration of Snovsk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The population was 12,315 in 2001. Name The c ...

Sosnytsia Sosnytsia ( uk, Сocниця) is an urban-type settlement in Koriukivka Raion (district) of Chernihiv Oblast (province) in north-central Ukraine. It is located on the west bank of the Ubid River, a tributary of the Desna river, some from Chernih ...

, Mena, Semenivka, Hrodna, Koryukivka and

Novhorod-Siverskyi Novhorod-Siverskyi ( uk, Новгород-Сіверський ) is a historic city in Chernihiv Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Novhorod-Siverskyi Raion, although until 18 July 2020 it was incorporated as a city ...

BM-27 Uragan The BM-27 Uragan (russian: БМ-27 Ураган, lit=Hurricane; GRAU index 9P140) is a self-propelled 220 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, and was ...

missiles hit a school in

Okhtyrka Okhtyrka ( uk, Охти́рка, ) is a city located in the Sumy Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance. The city has also served as the administrative center of the smaller Okhtyrka R ...

, killing a guard and injuring an unknown number of children and a teacher. However, Ukrainian forces put up heavy resistance, forcing the Russians to retreat. Fierce fighting meanwhile continued in the northern outskirts of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Tsyrkuny Tsyrkuny ( uk, Циркуни; russian: link=no, Циркуны) is a village in Kharkiv Raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about north-east from the centre of Kharkiv city. It hosts the administration of Tsyrkuny rural ...

26 February

Clashes occurred in

during the day between Russian forces and Territorial Defense Forces. Russian forces reportedly managed to capture half of the city during the day, but Ukrainian forces repelled the attackers according to a Ukrainian official. Three civilians were reportedly killed in shelling on

, the governor of

, stated that six civilians were killed and 55 wounded in Russian shelling on

. Russian forces west of

reportedly advanced further westwards by the night, and were apparently from

. The governor of

Oleh Synyehubov Oleh Vasylovych Synyehubov ( uk, Олег Васильович Синєгубов; born 10 August 1983) is a Ukrainian lawyer, attorney, scientist and entrepreneur who is currently the Governor of Kharkiv Oblast (since 24 December 2021) after b ...

, stated that the city of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Russian Defense Ministry The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...

later claimed that the 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly know ...

in the

had surrendered during the day, which was refuted by Ukrainian authorities.

27 February

A number of Russian vehicles advanced into

from the east on 27 February, while two women were reportedly killed around the

Sumy Airport Sumy Airport is a state international airport located in Sumy, Ukraine. It has become international since 8 December 2006. The airport is capable of accepting such aircraft as the Tu-134 (with limitations), An-24, Yak-40, and aircraft of lower cl ...

. In the early morning in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Russian forces. Russian light vehicles broke into the city, with half of them reportedly destroyed by Ukrainian forces in ensuing fighting. By the afternoon, Ukrainian officials stated that

Kupiansk Kupiansk ( uk, Куп'янськ, ) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kupiansk Raion. It is also an important railroad junction for the oblast. Kupiansk hosts the administrative offices of Kupiansk U ...

, agreed to hand over control of the city to Russian forces and accused Ukrainian forces of abandoning it when the invasion began. He was later accused of treason by the

Ukrainian Prosecutor General The prosecutor general of Ukraine (also procurator general of Ukraine, uk, Генеральний прокурор України) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General ( uk, Офіс ...

Iryna Venediktova Iryna Valentynivna Venediktova ( uk, Ірина Валентинівна Венедіктова; born 21 September 1978) is a Ukrainian politician, academic, and lawyer, previously a prosecutor general of Ukraine from March 2020 to July 2022. S ...

28 February

Russian forces bombed and destroyed an oil depot in

. More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed when their base in

was struck by a

thermobaric bomb A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, a vacuum bomb or a fuel air explosive (FAE), is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. The fuel–air explosive is one of the b ...

March

1 March

The

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

and

State Special Communications Service of Ukraine The State Special Communications Service of Ukraine (SSSCIP, uk, Державна служба спеціального зв'язку та захисту інформації України, Derzhavna sluzhba spetsial'nogo zv'iaku ta zakhistu in ...

claimed that 33 vehicles of Belarusian forces had entered

from the Belarusian city of

Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish ...

. A United States official however stated that the US had seen no such activity and Belarusian President

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian language, Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian language, Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лука� ...

denied that his country's troops had entered Ukraine. The governor of

Vyacheslav Chaus Vyacheslav Anatoliyovych Chaus ( uk, В'ячеслав Анатолійович Чаус; born on 28 August 1977), is a Ukrainian politician who is currently the governor of Chernihiv Oblast since 4 August 2021. Biography Vyacheslav Chaus was bo ...

, stated that every access point to the city of

was heavily

mined Mined may refer to: * Mined (text editor), a terminal-based text editor * Mining, the extraction of valuable geological materials from the Earth See also * Mind (disambiguation) * Mine (disambiguation) Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer ...

. That day, Russian forces captured

Trostianets Trostianets (also Trostyanets; uk, Тростянець, ) is a city in the Sumy Oblast in Ukraine, and serves as the administrative center of the Trostianets Raion. The city lies on the Boromlya River, from Sumy. Landmarks include a neo-Goth ...

, who entered the city at 01:03, reportedly destroying the gate to the Round Yard and an art gallery.

2 March

Russian

paratroopers A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachuting, parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne forces, airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used ...

landed in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Ukrainian forces. Clashes also took place near a military hospital of the city as Russian paratroopers descended on it.

's Police Chief Volodymyr Tymoshko later stated that the situation was under control. The Kruty Territorial Council later claimed that nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed in clashes with Ukrainian armed forces and the Territorial Defense Forces in their village of Kruty, located in

. Authorities in the city of

negotiated with Russian forces after the mayor stated that Russians had warned him not to resist them or they would destroy the city. An agreement was reached under which Russian forces accepted not to intrude in the city's functioning or deploy troops in return for the residents not attacking them.

3 March

A Russian airstrike on the local power plant on 3 March cut off the electricity and heating supply in the city of

. Five people were reportedly injured from shelling on buildings of the 27th Artillery Brigade and the military department at

Sumy State University Sumy State University (SumDU) is a higher educational institution in Sumy, Ukraine. It enrolls about 12,000 students pursuing pre-undergraduate, undergraduate, specialist, and master degrees in 55 majors and 23 fields. About 1,900 foreign stude ...

. That day, Russia claimed it had captured

Balakliia Balakliia ( uk, Балаклія, ; russian: Балаклея, translit=Balakleya) or Balakliya is a city in Izium Raion, in Kharkiv Oblast (province), eastern Ukraine, on the north-east side of the Siverskyi Donets river close to where it is j ...

4 March

Member of the Kharkiv police during the Russian attacks

Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in

, reportedly pushing the Russian forces advancing from the

back beyond the state border.

7 March

Ukraine claimed to have retaken

near

11th Guards Air Assault Brigade The 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade (Russian: 11-я отдельная гвардейская десантно-штурмовая бригада) is an airborne brigade of the Russian Airborne Troops, currently based at Sosnovy Bor near Ulan Ude in ...

. During the day, Ukraine also claimed that it had killed Russian Maj. Gen.

Vitaly Gerasimov Vitaly Petrovich Gerasimov (russian: Виталий Петрович Герасимов; born 9 July 1977) is a Russian Ground Forces major general (one-star rank), the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army. ...

, while also killing and wounding other senior Russian Army officers during a battle near

8 March

Ukraine stated that it had repelled an attack by Russian forces on

Izium Izium or Izyum ( uk, Ізюм, ; russian: Изюм) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion (district). Izium hosts the administration of Izium urban ...

. The first evacuation of civilians under an agreement between Ukraine and Russia took place during the day, with residents evacuating from

9 March

According to

Lyudmyla Denisova Lyudmyla Leontiyivna Denisova; russian: Людмила Леонтьевна Денисова, translit=Lyudmila Leontyevna Denisova Slobozhanske, located in

Izium Raion Izium Raion () is a raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Izium. Population: On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, the number of raions of Kharkiv Oblast was reduc ...

. In Velyka Pysarivka, three civilians were killed due to Russian bombing according to Zhyvytskyi.

10 March

A senior US Defense Department official claimed that

was now "isolated". After 01:30, Russian airstrikes destroyed a gas pipeline in Okhtyrka. According to governor Zhyvytskyi, Russian shelling on the territory of the former Elektrobutprilad plant in

had killed three civilians. At 14:20, Russian forces shelled the city of

Nizhyn Nizhyn ( uk, Ні́жин, Nizhyn, ) is a city located in Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine along the Oster River. The city is located north-east of the national capital Kyiv. Nizhyn serves as the administrative center of Nizhyn Raion. I ...

using

, reportedly killing two civilians.

11 March

Two civilians were reportedly killed overnight due to Russian shelling in the village of Kerdylivshchyna in

. Ukrainian forces later claimed to have recaptured five settlements in the

during the day, including

Baklanova Muraviika Baklanova Muraviika ( uk, Бакланова Муравійка) is a village in Ukraine, in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast. The population is 473 persons in 2014; in the early 2000s 645 persons lived in the village. History In 2007 village ...

, in addition to seizing two

armored personnel carriers An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

. Russian shelling on

Derhachi Derhachi (, ; ) is a city in Kharkiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The city is located northwest of the oblast capital, Kharkiv. The settlement was founded in the second half of the 17th century as a sloboda. It hosts the a ...

during the day reportedly killed three civilians.

12 March

The

stated that it was likely that counterattacks by the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine threaten Russia's long line of communication in this theater.Institute for the Study of War
- RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MARCH 12. Retrieved 13 March 2022. That day, Ukrainian forces reportedly recaptured two more settlements in the

and prevented more Russian forces from advancing towards Kyiv.

14 March

Two civilians were reportedly killed in Russian shelling on houses in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Chuhuiv Chuhuiv ( uk, Чугуїв) or Chuguev (russian: Чугуев) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Chuhuiv Raion (district). It hosts the administration of Chuhuiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of ...

17 March

At least 21 people were reportedly killed following Russian shelling in

Merefa Merefa () is a city in eastern Ukraine. It is located in Kharkiv Raion (district) of Kharkiv Oblast (province). Merefa hosts the administration of Merefa urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History It was a village in K ...

. During the day, the city of

was reportedly captured by Russian forces, although fighting continues.

24 March

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-eigh ...

stated that by the morning of March 24, the city of

was completely under control of its units. This claim was denied by Ukrainian officials. The same day a city council deputy told CNN that Russians controlled the northern sector of the city while the southern part was controlled by the Ukrainians, with Russian forces attempting to surround them.

31 March

After several weeks of attacks, and a month under siege, Ukrainian forces managed to break the encirclement of

by recapturing a main road connecting Kyiv with the regional capital.

April

1 April

Russian forces captured

after a long period of fighting. According to local authorities 80% of

's residential buildings were destroyed in the battle.

3 April

According to the Ukrainian government, two Russian soldiers died and 28 others were hospitalized after Ukrainian civilians handed out poisoned cakes to soldiers of the Russian

3rd Motor Rifle Division The 3rd Vislenskaya Red Banner Motor Rifle Division is a motorized infantry division of the Russian Ground Forces. The 3rd Motor Rifle Division was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of the 31st and 47th Guards Tank Division The 47th Gua ...

4 April

Governor Zhyvytskyi stated that Russian troops no longer occupied any towns or villages in

and had mostly withdrawn, while Ukrainian troops were working to push out the remaining units.Russian troops no longer hold any settlements in Ukraine's Sumy region, says governor

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

(4 April 2022) Governor Chaus stated that the Russian military pulled back from the regional capital of

, while "some troops" remained in the province. Russian forces reportedly planted mines in many areas where they retreated from.Russian Military Leaves Chernihiv Region, Plants Mines In Many Areas - Governor Chaus

Ukrainian News Agency The Ukrainian News Agency ( uk, Інформаційне агентство "Українські Новини"; ''Informatsiyne ahentstvo "Ukrayins'ki Novyny"'') is a Kyiv-based Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business ...

(4 April 2022)

6 April

The

confirmed that the Russian army left

, while

remained contested.

8 April

Governor Zhyvytskyi stated that all Russians troops left

. He added that the territory of the region was still unsafe due to rigged explosives and other ammunition left behind by

Shestovytsia after battle, 19 April 2022 (10)

Counterattack near Kharkiv

Explosive ordnance disposal in Sumy Oblast, 2022-05-02 (4)

6 May

The ISW described a Ukrainian counteroffensive "along a broad arc" near

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Tsyrkuny Tsyrkuny ( uk, Циркуни; russian: link=no, Циркуны) is a village in Kharkiv Raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about north-east from the centre of Kharkiv city. It hosts the administration of Tsyrkuny rural ...

, Peremoha and part of

Cherkaski Tyshky Cherkaski Tyshky ( uk, Черкаські Тишки; russian: link=no, Черкасские Тишки) is a village in the Kharkiv Raion ( district) of Ukraine's Kharkiv Region. It is located about north-east of Kharkiv, the country's seco ...

. The ISW also reported that Ukraine "may successfully push Russian forces out of artillery range in

7 May

It was reported that Ukrainian forces had successfully pushed back Russian forces stationed around

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said that the battle for Kharkiv was not over, but that at the moment, Ukraine was dominating, and that

were destroying bridges as they were retreating.

11 May

Ukrainian forces claimed to have recaptured four settlements. This counteroffensive, if successful, could bring Ukrainian forces within several kilometers of the Russian border.

13 May

It was reported that Russia had decided to withdraw its forces from the

14 May

The ISW reports that: “Ukraine thus appears to have won the battle of Kharkiv.” The Mayor of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Ukrainian Air Defence."

Russian counter-attack and continued fighting

After the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russian forces were driven back to defensive positions, some of which were within miles of the Russia-Ukraine international border. Despite this, they continued to shell various

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Skirmishes Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an ...

along the

Russia–Ukraine border The Russia–Ukraine border is the international state border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Over land, the border outlines five oblasts (regions) of Ukraine and five oblasts of the Russian Federation. The modern border issue has be ...

in the area of northeastern Ukraine continued between Russian and Ukrainian forces beyond 14 May.

20 May

Russian forces again shelled several villages in the Kharkiv district, including the city of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" (russian: БМ-21 "Град", lit= hail) is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat ...

and

BM-30 Smerch The BM-30 ''Smerch'' ( rus, Смерч, "tornado", "whirlwind"), 9K58 Smerch or 9A52-2 Smerch-M is a heavy Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled 300 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system is intended to ...

multiple rocket launchers.

21 May

On 21 May, in a statement the Ukrainian police confirmed the recovery of the bodies of six military officials, including a Russian

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

, in the settlement of

Zolochiv Zolochiv, ( ua, Золочів) may refer to the following places in Ukraine: * Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast, city in Lviv Oblast * Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast Zolochiv ( uk, Золочів) is an urban-type settlement in Bohodukhiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast ...

22 May

Russian forces made minimal progress in eastern Ukraine. New reports have confirmed that

had previously occupied

Rubizhne Rubizhne ( uk, Рубі́жне, Rubížne, ; rus, Рубе́жное, Rubéžnoye, links=1, rʊˈbʲeʐnəjə) is a city located in Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. Situated on the left bank of the Donets river near the cities of Sieviero ...

in the northern

on May 19. Russian forces have brought in additional reinforcements to maintain their positions on the west bank of the

Seversky Donets River The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Don ...

in northern Kharkov - instead of retreating across the river to use it as a defensive position - to prevent any further advance by Ukraine north or east that could to jeopardize Russian lines of communication along the

axis.

24 May

Russian forces attempted to retake

Ternova Ternova is a village in Kharkiv Raion, Ukraine, away from the Russian border. History Ternova has a history that dates back to the 16th century, when it was a remote frontier settlement of the Tsardom of Russia. According to records from ...

in northern

6 July

The

Russian defence ministry The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...

claimed that a Russian airstrike on a "temporary deployment point" of Ukraine's 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion "destroyed up to 100 Ukrainian nationalists and 4 pieces of military equipment."

13 August

Starting on August 13, Russian forces captured the town of

Udy Udy may refer to: People * Dan Udy (1874–1935), New Zealand rugby union player. * Giles Udy (born 1956), English writer and historian of the Soviet Gulag system. * Gloster Udy (1918–2003), Australian Uniting Church minister and author. * Hart ...

, northeast of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Zolochiv Zolochiv, ( ua, Золочів) may refer to the following places in Ukraine: * Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast, city in Lviv Oblast * Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast Zolochiv ( uk, Золочів) is an urban-type settlement in Bohodukhiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast ...

on August 19 and 20, with Ukrainian forces repulsing the attack.

September: End of the campaign

Beginning on September 6, Ukrainian forces launched a

counteroffensive In the study of military tactics, a counter-offensive is a large-scale strategic offensive military operation, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions. The counter-offensive is ...

, successfully recapturing approximately 2,500 square kilometers of territory, including the cities of

, and

. The

Russian Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...

then formally announced Russian forces' withdrawal from the majority of

on September 11, with

only controlling parts of the region on the east bank of the

Oskil River The Oskil ( uk, Оскiл) or Oskol (russian: Оскол) is a south-flowing river in Russia and Ukraine. It arises roughly between Kursk and Voronezh and flows south to join the Seversky Donets which flows southeast to join the Don. It is long, ...

References

{{2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

February 2022 events in Ukraine March 2022 events in Ukraine History of Chernihiv Oblast History of Kharkiv Oblast History of Sumy Oblast Articles containing video clips