Timeline of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Animated map of the invasion from 24 February to 9 April (for a more detailed, interactive map, see here)

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine. This timeline is a dynamic and fluid list, and as such may never satisfy criteria of completeness. Please note that some events may only be fully understood and/or discovered in retrospect.

Background

On 24 February, Russia launched a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, marking a major escalation of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The campaign had been preceded by a prolonged Russian military buildup (since early 2021), as well as numerous Russian demands for security measures and legal prohibitions against Ukraine joining NATO.

Prelude

Main article: Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

• On 14 September 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Ukraine's new National Security Strategy, which included partnership with NATO.
• On 10 November 2021, the United States reported an unusual movement of Russian troops near the borders of Ukraine. By 28 November, Ukraine reported a build-up of 92,000 Russian troops.
• On 7 December 2021, US President Joe Biden warned President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, of "strong economic and other measures" if Russia attacks Ukraine.
• On 17 December 2021, Putin proposed limits on NATO's activities in eastern Europe, such as a prohibition on Ukraine ever joining NATO, which are rejected.
• On 17 January 2022, Russian troops began arriving in Russia's ally Belarus, ostensibly "for military exercises".
• On 19 January 2022, the US gave Ukraine $200 million in security aid.
• On 19 January 2022, US President Joe Biden stated during a press conference that "And so, I think what you're going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, et cetera." Many critics of the US president felt this was leaving the door open for President of Russia Vladimir Putin to invade.
• On 24 January 2022, NATO put troops on standby.
• On 25 January 2022, Russian exercises involving 6,000 troops and 60 jets took place in Russia near Ukraine and Crimea.
• On 10 February 2022, Russia and Belarus began 10 days of military maneuvers.
• On 17 February 2022, fighting escalated in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

February 2022

See also: List of military engagements during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

21 February

At 22:35 (UTC+3), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia recognizes the independence of two pro-Russian breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine (the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic). This led to a first round of economic sanctions from NATO countries the following day.

In his televised speech before the announcement, Putin laid out that he believed that Vladimir Lenin was the "author and architect" of Ukraine and labeled Ukrainians who have taken down Lenin's monuments "ungrateful descendants", saying "This is what they call decommunization. Do you want decommunization? Well, that suits us just fine. But it is unnecessary, as they say, to stop halfway. We are ready to show you what real decommunization means for Ukraine."

24 February

See also: Attack on Snake Island, Siege of Mariupol, Battle of Antonov Airport, Siege of Chernihiv, Battle of Okhtyrka, Chuhuiv air base attack, Battle of Kharkiv (2022), Battle of Konotop (2022), Battle of Sumy, Battle of Chernobyl, Battle of Kherson, Kyiv offensive (2022), Southern Ukraine offensive, Northeastern Ukraine offensive, Eastern Ukraine offensive, and On conducting a special military operation

Structure in Kyiv hit by a missile fragment, 24 February

Russian anti-tank team operates a Konkurs ATGM near Hostomel Airport

Shortly before 06:00 Moscow Time (UTC+3) on 24 February, Putin announced that he had made the decision to launch a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine. In his address, Putin claimed there were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and that he supported the right of the peoples of Ukraine to self-determination. Putin also stated that Russia sought the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine. He said that "all responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine." The Russian Ministry of Defence asked air traffic control units of Ukraine to stop flights, and the airspace over Ukraine was restricted to non-civilian air traffic, and the whole area was deemed an active conflict zone by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Within minutes of Putin's announcement, explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and the Donbas. Ukrainian officials said that Russian troops had landed in Mariupol and Odessa, and had launched cruise and ballistic missiles at airfields, military headquarters, and military depots in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Military vehicles entered Ukraine through Senkivka, at the point where Ukraine meets Belarus and Russia, at around 6:48 am local time. A video captured Russian troops entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea.

The Kremlin planned to initially target artillery and missiles at command and control centres and then send fighter jets and helicopters to quickly gain air superiority. The Center for Naval Analyses said that Russia would create a pincer movement to encircle Kyiv and envelop Ukraine's forces in the east, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies identifying three axes of advance: from Belarus in the north, from Donetsk, and from Crimea in the south. The US said it believed that Russia intended to "decapitate" Ukraine's government and install their own, with US intelligence officials believing that Kyiv would fall within 96 hours given circumstances on the ground.

According to former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal affairs, Anton Herashchenko, now serving as an official government advisor, just after 06:30 (UTC+2), Russian forces were invading via land near the city of Kharkiv and large-scale amphibious landings were reported in the city of Mariupol. At 07:40, troops were also entering the country from Belarusian territory. The Ukrainian Border Force reported attacks on sites in Luhansk Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, and Zhytomyr Oblast, as well as from Crimea. The Ukrainian interior ministry reported that Russian forces captured the villages of Horodyshche and Milove in Luhansk. The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication reported that the Ukrainian army repelled an attack near Shchastia (near Luhansk) and retook control of the town, claiming nearly 50 casualties from the Russian side.

Shortly before 07:00 (UTC+2), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy also announced that Russia–Ukraine relations were being severed, effective immediately. Russian missiles targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, including Boryspil International Airport, Ukraine's largest airport, 29 km (18 mi) east of Kyiv.

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Scenes in eastern Ukraine during the invasion

At 10:00 (UTC+2), it was reported during the briefing of the Ukrainian presidential administration that Russian troops had invaded Ukraine from the north (up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the border). Russian troops were said to be active in Kharkiv Oblast, in Chernihiv Oblast, and near Sumy. President Zelenskyy's press service also reported that Ukraine had repulsed an attack in Volyn Oblast. At 10:30 (UTC+2), the Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported that Russian troops in Chernihiv Oblast had been stopped, a major battle near Kharkiv was in progress, and Mariupol and Shchastia had been fully reclaimed.

An-225 Mriya destroyed in the Battle of Antonov Airport

In the Battle of Antonov Airport, Russian airborne troops seized the Hostomel Airport in Hostomel, a suburb of Kyiv, after being transported by helicopters early in the morning; a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture the airport was launched later in the day. The Rapid Response Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard stated that it had fought at the airfield, shooting down three of 34 Russian helicopters.

Because Belarus allowed Russian troops to invade Ukraine from the north, at 11:00 (UTC+2), Ukrainian border guards reported a border breach in Vilcha (Kyiv Oblast), and border guards in Zhytomyr Oblast were bombarded by Russian rocket launchers (presumably BM-21 Grad). A helicopter without markings reportedly bombed Slavutych border guards from Belarus. At 11:30 (UTC+2), a second wave of Russian missile bombings targeted the cities of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and Lviv. Heavy ground fighting was reported in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.

By 12:04 (UTC+2), Russian troops advancing from Crimea moved towards the city of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast. Later that day, Russian troops entered the city of Kherson and took control of the North Crimean Canal, which would allow them to resume water supplies for the peninsula.

At 13:00 and 13:19 (UTC+2), Ukrainian border guards and Armed Forces reported two new clashes—near Sumy ("in the direction of Konotop") and Starobilsk (in Luhansk Oblast). At 13:32 (UTC+2), Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported four ballistic missiles launched from the territory of Belarus in a southwestern direction. Several stations of Kyiv Metro and Kharkiv Metro were used as bomb shelters for the local population. A local hospital in Vuhledar (Donetsk Oblast) was reported to have been bombed with four civilians dead and 10 wounded (including 6 physicians).

At 16:00 (UTC+2), President Zelenskyy said that fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces had erupted in the ghost cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat. By around 18:20 (UTC+2), the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was under Russian control, as were the surrounding areas.

At 16:18 (UTC+2), Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, proclaimed a curfew lasting from 22:00 to 07:00.

At 22:00 (UTC+2), the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced that Russian forces had captured Snake Island following a naval and air bombardment of the island. All thirteen border guards on the island were assumed to have been killed in the bombardment, after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship; a recording of the guards refusing an offer to surrender went viral on social media. President Zelenskyy announced that the presumed-dead border guards would be posthumously granted the title of Hero of Ukraine, the country's highest honour. Seventeen civilians were confirmed killed, including thirteen killed in Southern Ukraine, three in Mariupol, and one in Kharkiv. Zelenskyy stated that 137 Ukrainian citizens (both soldiers and civilians) died on the first day of the invasion.

Shortly after 23:00 (UTC+2), President Zelenskyy ordered a general mobilisation of all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60 years old; for the same reason, Ukrainian males from that age group were banned from leaving Ukraine.

25 February

See also: Millerovo air base attack, Battle of Ivankiv, Battle of Kyiv (2022), Battle of Melitopol, Battle of Starobilsk, and Battle of Volnovakha

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"Kyiv Tense as Russian Forces Advance", video news report from Voice of America

Around 04:00 (UTC+2) local time, Kyiv was rocked with two explosions from cruise and ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian government said that it had shot down an enemy aircraft over Kyiv, which then crashed into a residential building, setting it on fire. It was later confirmed that the aircraft was a Ukrainian Su-27.

Independent military analysts noted that Russian forces in the north of the country appeared to have been heavily engaged by the Ukrainian military. Russian units were attempting to encircle Kyiv and advance into Kharkiv but were bogged down in heavy fighting, with social media images suggesting that some Russian armoured columns had been ambushed. In contrast, Russian operations in the east and south were more effective. The best trained and equipped Russian units were positioned outside Donbas in the southeast and appeared to have manoeuvred around the prepared defensive trenches and attacked in the rear of Ukrainian defensive positions. Meanwhile, Russian military forces advancing from Crimea were divided into two columns, with analysts suggesting that they may have been attempting to encircle and entrap the Ukrainian defenders at Donbas, forcing the Ukrainians to abandon their prepared defences and fight in the open.

On the morning of 25 February, President Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting civilian sites; Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative Vadym Denysenko said that 33 civilian sites had been hit in the previous 24 hours.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry stated that Russian forces had entered the district of Obolon, Kyiv, and were approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the Verkhovna Rada building. Some Russian forces had entered northern Kyiv, but had not progressed beyond that. Russia's Spetsnaz troops infiltrated the city with the intention of "hunting" government officials. An unmarked armored vehicle was filmed veering across the road and crushing a civilian car in northern Kyiv. Although widely captioned as the act of a Russian tank, experts suggested it was unclear who operated the military vehicle and why the incident occurred. The civilian driving the car, an elderly man, survived and was helped out by locals.

An apartment block in Kyiv (Oleksandr Koshyts Street) after shelling, 25 February

The mayor of Horlivka in the Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic reported that a munition fired by the Ukrainian military hit a local school building, killing two teachers.

As Russian troops approached Kyiv, President Zelenskyy asked residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to "neutralise" the enemy. Putin meanwhile called on the Ukrainian military to overthrow the government. Ukraine distributed 18,000 guns to Kyiv residents who expressed a willingness to fight and deployed the Territorial Defence Forces, the reserve component of the Ukrainian military, for the defence of Kyiv. The Defence Ministry also announced that all Ukrainian civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of their age.

By the evening, the Pentagon stated that Russia had not established air supremacy of Ukrainian airspace, which US analysts had predicted would happen quickly after hostilities began. Ukrainian air defence capabilities had been degraded by Russian attacks, but remained operational. Military aircraft from both nations continued to fly over Ukraine. The Pentagon also said that Russian troops were also not advancing as quickly as either US intelligence or Moscow believed they would, that Russia had not taken any population centres, and that Ukrainian command and control was still intact. The Pentagon warned that Russia had sent into Ukraine only 30 per cent of the 150,000–190,000 troops it had massed at the border.

Reports circulated of a Ukrainian missile attack against the Millerovo air base in Russia, to prevent the base being used to provide air support to Russian troops in Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy indicated that the Ukrainian government was not "afraid to talk about neutral status". On the same day, President Putin indicated to Xi Jinping, the Chinese paramount leader and general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, that "Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine".

26 February

See also: Battle of Mykolaiv and Battle of Vasylkiv

Apartment block in Kyiv (Valeriy Lobanovskyi Avenue) struck by a missile, 26 February

Apartment block in Kharkiv partially destroyed by a missile, 26 February

At 00:00 (UTC), heavy fighting was reported to the south of Kyiv, near the city of Vasylkiv and its air base. The Ukrainian General Staff claimed that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter had shot down a Russian Il-76 transport plane carrying paratroopers near the city. Vasylkiv mayor Natalia Balasinovich said her city had been successfully defended by Ukrainian forces and the fighting was ending.

Around 03:00, more than 48 explosions in 30 minutes were reported around Kyiv, as the Ukrainian military was reported to be fighting near the CHP-6 power station in the northern neighbourhood of Troieshchyna. BBC News reported the attack may be an attempt to cut off electricity to the city. Heavy fighting was reported near the Kyiv Zoo and the Shuliavka neighbourhood. Early on 26 February, the Ukrainian military said it had repelled a Russian attack on an army base located on Peremohy Avenue, a main road in Kyiv; it also claimed to have repelled a Russian assault on the city of Mykolaiv on the Black Sea. American officials said a Russian Il-76 transport plane had been shot down by Ukrainian forces near Bila Tserkva, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Kyiv. President Zelenskyy, remaining in Kyiv, had refused US offers of evacuation, instead requesting more ammunition for Ukrainian troops.

Hundreds of casualties were reported during overnight fighting in Kyiv, where shelling destroyed an apartment building, bridges, and schools. At 11:00, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that its aircraft had conducted 34 sorties in the past 24 hours, indicating that Russia had continued to, unexpectedly, fail to gain air superiority.

By the afternoon, most of the Russian forces that had amassed around Ukraine were fighting in the country. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko of Kyiv imposed a curfew from 5 p.m. Saturday until 8 a.m. Monday, warning that anyone outside during that time would be considered enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Internet connections were disrupted in parts of Ukraine, particularly in the south and east. In response to a request from Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine, Elon Musk announced that he had turned on his Starlink service in Ukraine, with "more terminals en route".

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"Solemn Kyiv Copes with Bombs, Gunfire", a video news report from Voice of America

Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative Vadym Denysenko stated that Russian forces had advanced further towards Enerhodar and the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. He stated that they were deploying Grad missiles there and warned that they may attack the plant. The Zaporizhia Regional State Administration stated that the Russian forces advancing on Enerhodar had later returned to Bolshaya Belozerka, a village located 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city, on the same day.

A Japanese-owned cargo ship, the MV Namura Queen with 20 crew members onboard was struck by a Russian missile in the Black Sea. A Moldovan ship, MV Millennial Spirit, was also shelled by a Russian warship, causing serious injuries.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, confirmed that the Kadyrovtsy, units loyal to the Chechen Republic, had been deployed into Ukraine as well. Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, stated that members of Russia's Federal Security Service had tipped off Ukraine that Kadyrovtsy were attempting to infiltrate Kyiv and assassinate President Zelenskyy. Danilov stated that the Kadyrovtsy had split into two groups, with one destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

A six-year-old boy was killed and multiple others were wounded when artillery fire hit the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv. The Ukrainian military claimed to have blown up a convoy of 56 tankers in Chernihiv Oblast carrying diesel for Russian forces.

By the end of the day, Russian forces had failed in their attempts to encircle and isolate Kyiv, despite mechanised and airborne attacks. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia had committed its operational northern reserve of 17 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) after Ukrainian forces halted the advance of 14 BTGs to the north of Kyiv. Russia temporarily abandoned attempts to seize Chernihiv and Kharkiv after attacks were repelled by determined Ukrainian resistance, and bypassed those cities to continue towards Kyiv. In the south, Russia took Berdiansk and threatened to encircle Mariupol.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that poor planning and execution was leading to morale and logistical issues for the Russian military in northern Ukraine. US and UK officials reported that Russian forces faced shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel, leading to tanks and armoured vehicles stalling and slowing their advance. Videos also emerged online of Russian tanks and armoured personnel carriers, or APCs, stranded on the roadside. Russia continued to not use its full arsenal; the ISW said this was likely to avoid the diplomatic and public relations consequences of mass civilian casualties, as well as to avoid creating rubble that would impede the advance of its own forces.

27 February

See also: 2022 Zhytomyr attacks, Battle of Berdiansk, Battle of Zaporizhzhia, Battle of Irpin, Battle of Bucha, and Battle of Tokmak

Equipment of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group captured in Odessa Oblast

Overnight, a gas pipeline outside Kharkiv was reported to have been blown up by a Russian attack, while an oil depot in the village of Kriachky near Vasylkiv ignited after being hit by missiles. Heavy fighting near the Vasylkiv air base prevented firefighters from tackling the blaze. Also at night, it was reported that a group of Ukrainian Roma (Gypsies) had seized a Russian tank in Liubymivka, close to Kakhovka, in the Kherson Oblast. Furthermore, the Presidential Office stated that Zhuliany Airport was also bombed. Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk province said that an oil terminal in the town of Rovenky was hit by a Ukrainian missile. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine rescued 80 people from a nine-story residential building in Kharkiv after Russian artillery hit the building, extensively damaging it and killing a woman.

Nova Kakhovka's mayor, Vladimir Kovalenko, confirmed that the city had been seized by Russian troops, and he accused them of destroying the settlements of Kozatske and Vesele. Russian troops also entered Kharkiv, with fighting taking place in the city streets, including in the city centre. At the same time, Russian tanks started pushing into Sumy. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian forces had completely surrounded Kherson and Berdiansk, in addition to capturing Henichesk and Kherson International Airport in Chernobaevka. By the early afternoon, Kharkiv Oblast governor Oleh Synyehubov stated that Ukrainian forces had regained full control of Kharkiv, and Ukrainian authorities said that dozens of Russian troops in the city had surrendered. Hennadiy Matsegora, the mayor of Kupiansk, later agreed to hand over control of the city to Russian forces.

In a televised address, President Putin was shown to have ordered the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff "to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service", in response to what he called "aggressive statements" by NATO members. The phrase Putin used, namely "special mode of combat service", was unknown on the basis of open sources. Purported order was interpreted as a threat and met with criticism from NATO, the EU, and the United Nations (UN); NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described it as being "dangerous and irresponsible", while UN official Stéphane Dujarric called the idea of a nuclear war "inconceivable".

According to the intelligence analyst firm Rochan Consulting, Russia had succeeded in connecting Crimea with areas in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian forces by besieging Mariupol and Berdiansk. Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to President Zelenskyy, stated that Berdiansk had been captured by Russian forces. The main Russian force from the Crimea was advancing north towards Zaporizhzhia, while a Russian force on the east bank of the Dnipro threatened Mykolaiv.

Russian forces were pushed back in Bucha and Irpin to the north-west of Kyiv. According to UK military intelligence, Russian mechanised forces had bypassed Chernihiv as they moved towards Kyiv. Luhansk Oblast governor Serhiy Haidai accused Russian forces of destroying Stanytsia Luhanska and Shchastia before capturing them, while Donetsk Oblast governor Pavlo Kyrylenko also accused them of destroying Volnovakha.

The ISW said that Russian forces in northern Ukraine had likely conducted an "operational pause" starting the previous day in order to deploy additional forces and supplies; Russian military resources not previously part of the invasion force were being moved toward Ukraine in anticipation of a more difficult conflict than initially expected.

28 February

See also: Battle of Enerhodar and February 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing

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Ruins in Chernihiv after Russian shelling on 28 February

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Russian shelling of Kharkiv on 28 February

Fighting took place around Mariupol throughout the night. On the morning of 28 February, the UK defence ministry said that most Russian ground forces remained over 30 km (19 mi) north of Kyiv, having been slowed by Ukrainian resistance at Hostomel Airport. It also said that fighting was taking place near Chernihiv and Kharkiv, and that both cities remained under Ukrainian control. Maxar Technologies released satellite images that showed a Russian column, including tanks and self-propelled artillery, travelling toward Kyiv near Ivankiv. The firm initially stated that the convoy was approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) long, but clarified later that day that the column was actually more than 64 kilometres (40 mi) in length.

The Times reported that the Wagner Group had been redeployed from Africa to Kyiv, with orders to assassinate President Zelenskyy during the first days of the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian advisor Oleksiy Arestovych claimed that more than 200 Russian military vehicles had been destroyed or damaged on the highway between Irpin and Zhytomyr by 14:00 EET. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, stated that nine civilians were killed and 37 were wounded due to Russian shelling on the city during the day. Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, accused Russia of using a vacuum bomb.

Talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Gomel, Belarus, ended without a breakthrough. As a condition for ending the invasion, Putin demanded Ukraine's neutrality, "denazification" and "demilitarisation", and recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.

Russia increased strikes on Ukrainian airfields and logistics centres, particularly in the west, in an apparent attempt to ground the Ukrainian air force and disrupt resupply from nations to the west. In the north, the ISW called the decision to use heavy artillery in Kharkiv "a dangerous inflection". Additional Russian forces and logistics columns in southern Belarus appeared to be maneuvering to support a Kyiv assault. An analyst with the Royal United Services Institute stated that the Ukrainian regular army is no longer functioning in formations but in largely fixed defences, and was increasingly integrated with Territorial Defense Forces and armed volunteers.

On 28 February, a diplomatic crisis within Greece–Russia relations was sparked when the latter's air forces bombarded the two settlements of Buhas and Sartana, majority-populated by Ukrainian Greeks near Mariupol, killing 12 Greeks. Greece protested strongly, summoning the Russian ambassador. French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with Germany, and other countries, expressed their condolences to Greece. Russian authorities denied responsibility, although Greek authorities stated that they had evidence of Russian involvement. In response, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that his country would send defensive military equipment and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine.

A Sky News reporting team, whilst attempting to return to Kyiv, came under gunfire from what Ukraine claimed was a Russian saboteur reconnaissance squad. Stuart Ramsay, a member of the team, was wounded in the lower back.

A ranking Russian Army commander, Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky, deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, was killed in unspecified circumstances in Ukraine.

March 2022

1 March

A downtown street in Kharkiv after Russian bombardment

Russian military vehicles destroyed on a road in the town of Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv on 1 March 2022

According to Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the governor of Sumy Oblast, more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during Russian shelling of a military base in Okhtyrka. A Russian missile later hit the regional administration building on Freedom Square during a bombardment of Kharkiv, killing at least ten civilians, and wounding 35 others. In southern Ukraine, the city of Kherson was reported to be under attack by Russian forces. The Ukrainian government announced that it would sell war bonds to fund armed forces.

The Ukrainian parliament stated that the Armed Forces of Belarus had joined Russia's invasion and were in Chernihiv Oblast, northeast of the capital. UNIAN reported that a column of 33 military vehicles had entered the region. The US disagreed with these claims, saying that there was "no indication" that Belarus had invaded. Hours prior, Belarus's President Lukashenko said that Belarus would not join the war.

After Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it would hit targets to stop "information attacks", missiles struck broadcasting infrastructure for the primary television and radio transmitters in Kyiv, taking TV channels off the air. Ukrainian officials said that the attack killed five people and damaged the nearby Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Ukraine's main Holocaust memorial.

An official from the US Department of Defense stated that Russian forces had captured Berdiansk and Melitopol.

2 March

School of Economics of the National University of Kharkiv after rocket strike on 2 March

See also: Horlivka offensive, Battle of Sievierodonetsk (2022), and Battle of Voznesensk

The Ukrainian military reported a Russian paratrooper assault on northwest Kharkiv, where a military hospital came under attack. Zhyvytskyi stated that Russian forces had captured Trostianets after entering it at 01:03.

Ukrainian advisor Oleksiy Arestovych stated that the Ukrainian forces had gone on the offensive for the first time during the war, advancing towards Horlivka. Russian troops also advanced, capturing the city of Kherson.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that Ukrainian forces had recaptured Makariv. Vadym Boychenko, the mayor of Mariupol, reported that the residential areas in the city were being "relentlessly" shelled by the Russian military, with "scores of" casualties among civilians.

The Bangladeshi bulk carrier Banglar Samriddhi was struck by a missile at 17:25 at the port of Olvia in Mykolaiv Oblast, setting it on fire and killing a Bangladeshi engineer.

Ukrayinska Pravda reported, with reference to a source in Ukraine's intelligence, that Viktor Yanukovych, a former president of Ukraine with pro-Russia sympathies ousted following the Revolution of Dignity, was in Minsk, Belarus, and that it was Russia's intention to declare him as president in the event of Russian forces gaining control of Kyiv. Nevertheless, some analysts have stated that Putin may put the pro-Russian Viktor Medvedchuk as president if Ukraine surrenders.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, accused the NATO and the EU of wanting to start a nuclear war and warned that "World War III would be nuclear and destructive".

3 March

Russian troops in Novoaidar. The town was captured on 3 March.

During a second round of talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed to open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians. The Estonian cargo ship Helt sunk after an explosion near Odessa; all six crew members aboard the ship survived.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs authorized the supply of 2,700 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) to Ukraine. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law allowing the seizure of assets owned by the Russian government or nationals.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had captured Balakliia. President Zelenskyy meanwhile asked to hold direct talks with Russian president Putin, saying that they are "the only way to stop this war". The United States stated that about 90% of the Russian forces that had amassed around Ukraine before the invasion had entered the country.

President Zelenskyy also announced that the first batch of international volunteers had arrived in Ukraine to fight against Russian forces. He added that Ukraine was regularly receiving weapons from Western countries.

4 March

School in Zhytomyr after 4 March airstrike

At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a projectile hit within the plant site, causing a localised fire of a building that is not part of the reactors. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said that there were no changes to radiation levels and officials reported that the fire was extinguished after several hours. The transformer of Unit 6 had also been damaged. After a battle that killed three Ukrainian soldiers, Russian troops occupied the power plant. The representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, announced that the attack on the power plant was an attempted provocation by a Ukrainian sabotage group. The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that the shelling of the power plant was carried out by the Russian side.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg rejected Ukraine's request for imposing a no-fly zone over the country, stating that it would lead to a full-fledged war with Russia. The United States stated that Russia had fired more than 500 missiles at Ukraine and the Russian Kyiv convoy north of Kyiv was 15 miles (24 km) away from the capital.

5 March

Russian armed forces announced a ceasefire for the organization of humanitarian corridors from Mariupol to allow around 200,000 civilians to evacuate the city which lacks water and electricity. Soon after this, however, the ceasefire ended with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the breakdown. Meanwhile, Arestovych stated that Russian troops had captured Bucha and Hostomel during the day.

6 March

See also: Irpin refugee column shelling

The Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport was destroyed after being hit with Russian missile attacks during the day. The Zhytomyr Armour Plant was destroyed in a Russian airstrike as well. A second attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol was meanwhile scuttled. A US defense official later stated that about 95% of the troops Russia had stationed around Ukraine before the start of the war were inside the country.

7 March

The Hostomel City Council announced that the city mayor Yuri Prilipko had been killed by Russian forces. Oleksandr Markushin, the mayor of Irpin, was meanwhile reported to have been captured.

The Ukrainian armed forces stated that Russian forces had captured Vasylivka, Tokmak and Polohy. Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, said that Ukrainian forces had reclaimed the Mykolaiv International Airport. The Ukrainian armed forces meanwhile claimed to have retaken Chuhuiv in a counter-attack overnight, in addition to killing two Russian commanders. The Ukrainian Air Force also bombed the military airbase at the Russian-occupied Kherson International Airport.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that it would open six humanitarian corridors. The Ukrainian government criticised the announcement since only two of them led to other Ukrainian territories, while the others led to Russia or Belarus.

A US defense official stated that Russia had deployed nearly 100% of the forces it had amassed around Ukraine before the invasion and fired more than 625 missiles.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence stated during the day that it had killed Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv. Two Russian missiles meanwhile hit oil depots in Zhytomyr and Cherniakhiv at night, setting them ablaze.

8 March

Another attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol was prevented, with the Ukrainian government accusing Russian forces of targeting the evacuation corridor. However, civilians were able to evacuate from Sumy, the first such evacuation as part of an agreement between Ukraine and Russia on humanitarian corridors.

9 March

See also: Battle of Brovary

Poland offered to transfer all its 23 MiG-29 fighter jets to the United States for free and deliver them to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, with the United States then delivering them to Ukraine. The US rejected the proposition, the Pentagon pronouncing Poland's proposal "not tenable". Davyd Arakhamia, a Ukrainian negotiator in talks with Russia, stated that more than 40,000 civilians were evacuated from various cities during the day.

10 March

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Russian UAV strikes two Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles, March 2022

Russian military vehicles bombed by Ukrainian forces in the Kyiv region, March 2022

Turkey hosted a tri-lateral meeting between foreign ministers in Antalya. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign minister described his meeting with Lavrov as difficult, as they yielded no result. The Russian Defense Ministry meanwhile stated that Russian forces would open humanitarian corridors everyday to Russia from 10:00.

A senior US Defense Department official claimed that in the west of Kyiv, Russian military had advanced by about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) closer to central Kyiv, in the vicinity of Hostomel Airport. The column advancing from the east was meanwhile 40 kilometres away from Kyiv. Furthermore, he claimed that Chernihiv was now "isolated". Ukrainian forces meanwhile ambushed a Russian column in Brovary Raion and forced it to retreat after destroying several tanks and killing a tank commander.

Parts of the Russian convoy approaching Kyiv from the north had meanwhile largely dispersed and redeployed according to Maxar Technologies. UK's Ministry of Defence stated that Russia was likely regrouping for an attack on Kyiv.

A Soviet-era drone crashed in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia.

11 March

Russian forces expanded their offensive to Western Ukraine, targeting Ivano-Frankivsk and Lutsk. Four Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another six wounded during rocket attacks on Lutsk Air Base, while two boiler plants were shut down and the air base was destroyed. Missiles also hit Dnipro, killing one civilian, while the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have disabled the military airbase at Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport.

According to Ukrainian officials, the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, was abducted by Russian soldiers. Elsewhere, a top Russian commander, Maj. Gen. Andrei Kolesnikov, was reported by Ukrainian officials to have been killed in action. Western officials believe that around 20 Russian major generals were taking a personal part in the invasion to motivate demoralized Russian troops.

Fighting intensified during the day to the northeast and east of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force later claimed that Russia had conducted a false flag operation to make the Armed Forces of Belarus enter the war, by using its jets to fire at the village of Kopani near Belarus' border with Ukraine from Ukrainian airspace. It also claimed that two other Belarusian settlements were attacked as well. The Belarusian Ministry of Defence, however, stated that no such attack had occurred.

President Putin approved the deployment of up to 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East to Ukraine during the day, with the Wagner Group already reported to have recruited more than 4,000 Syrians. Fighters from the Central African Republic also claimed to be preparing to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

A Russian tank also allegedly shelled a care home in Kreminna, killing 56 residents.

12 March

Heavy fighting occurred to the north of Kyiv and around other besieged cities during the day, while Ukrainian officials stated that the clashes and Russian airstrikes were threatening civilian evacuations. Russian forces destroyed the Vasylkiv Air Base, while the Russian Defense Ministry also claimed they had destroyed the main center of radio and electronic intelligence of Ukrainian forces in Brovary.

Kuleba during the day accused the Russian government of planning to stage a referendum in Kherson to create a "Kherson People's Republic", which would be run by a government sympathetic to Russia. The forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), meanwhile, captured Volnovakha.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that Russia's advance had slowed down and had been stopped at many places. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, meanwhile, said that around 13,000 civilians were evacuated during the day.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs while attacking Popasna late on 12 March. The Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery was, meanwhile, damaged in Russian bombing around 22:00.

13 March

See also: Yavoriv military base attack and Mykolaiv cluster bombing

Russian forces bombed the Yavoriv International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, a military base used by the Ukrainian military to hold most of their drills with NATO countries, with more than 30 missiles according to Lviv Oblast's governor Maksym Kozytskyy. He later stated that 35 people had been killed and 134 were wounded, while the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that up to 180 non-Ukrainian mercenaries were killed and many weapons supplied by other nations to Ukraine were destroyed. This was the westernmost strike carried out by Russia since the war began. It also claimed that another Ukrainian military facility in Starichi was hit, while the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk stated that the city's airport was hit again.

Heavy fighting was reported on multiple fronts during the day. Ukraine claimed that it was counter-attacking in Kharkiv Oblast and around Mykolaiv, while UK's Ministry of Defense stated that Russian forces were trying to isolate Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine and the Russian Navy had effectively established a blockade around Ukraine's Black Sea coastline, stopping its international maritime trade.

President Zelenskyy stated that nearly 125,000 civilians had been evacuated under the humanitarian corridor agreement, while Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reported progress in peace talks. An American journalist, Brent Renaud, was shot dead in Irpin as a result of fire opened by Russian forces, according to the Kyiv police department.

An unarmed Russian Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone crashed in the Romanian village of T�?rpiu.

14 March

Denis Pushilin, head of the DPR, said they had downed a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile over the city of Donetsk in the morning, but the city centre was struck by the missile's fragments. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 23 civilians were killed. The Ukrainian military however claimed that Russian forces were behind the attack. In retaliation, the Russian Defence Ministry promised to take steps to destroy Ukraine's defence industry outfits. It also said that Russia knew the locations of all "foreign mercenaries in Ukraine" and the Russian forces would continue to strike them with precision.

A Russian missile strike hit a transmission tower in the village of Antopi in Rivne Oblast according to the oblast governor Vitaliy Koval. Rivne Regional Military Administration chief Vitaliy Kova later stated that 21 civilians were killed and nine were wounded. Dnipro Oblast governor Valentin Reznichenko stated that Russian bombardment on the Dnipro International Airport at night destroyed its runway and damaged the terminal. Civilians were able to evacuate Mariupol for the first time during the day.

A senior US Department of Defence official meanwhile stated that Russia's advance had been stalled on almost all fronts, but it did not seem that it would stop its attacks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that over 40,000 Syrians had registered to fight for Russia in Ukraine. It added that recruitment notices had been sent out to Al-Katerji militia, which had acted as an intermediary between the Syrian government and the Islamic State group in the past.

15 March

16-storey house in Kyiv after shelling on 15 March

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on 15 March that Russian forces had taken complete control of the Kherson Oblast and had shot down six Bayraktar TB2 drones in the past 24 hours. Landing ships of the Russian Navy were meanwhile approaching the coast of Odessa.

Heraschenko later claimed that Russian Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev was killed in Mariupol. The Ukrainian Air Force meanwhile struck the military airbase at Kherson International Airport again, destroying multiple Russian helicopters.

On the same day, President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not join NATO any time soon, and "it's a truth and it must be recognized". Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša, Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, and Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Jarosław Kaczyński later visited Kyiv and met with President Zelenskyy to show support for Ukraine.

16 March

See also: Chernihiv breadline massacre, Kherson airport airstrike, and Mariupol theatre airstrike

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv claimed that Russian forces had shot and killed 10 people queuing up for bread in Chernihiv, though it provided no evidence. Videos were later posted by others on social media showing the purported aftermath.

Ukraine later announced its forces had begun a counter-offensive to repel Russian forces approaching Kyiv, with fighting in Bucha, Hostomel, and Irpin. Additionally, Ukrainian forces also started an offensive near Mykolaiv towards Kherson.

Lavrov and President Zelenskyy meanwhile stated that talks were progressing, with Lavrov stating that neutrality of Ukraine was now being discussed. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Putin, stated that they were looking at a demilitarization model along the lines of Austria and Sweden, which have their own armies, but President Zelenskyy's office rejected this shortly afterwards. Mikhail Podolyak, one of the Ukrainian negotiators, stated that under the proposed peace plan, Ukraine would remain neutral, enshrine rights for Russian speakers, and ignore the issue of disputed territories. In return, it would keep its military, while allied countries would intervene in case it was invaded again.

Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, later reported that Russian forces had released Melitopol's mayor Ivan Fedorov. The regional drama theater in Mariupol, sheltering around 1,000 civilians, was later bombed during the day. In two locations outside the theatre the word "дети" (Russian for "children") was spelled out in an attempt to identify it to invading forces as a civilian air raid shelter containing children, and not a military target.

17 March

During the day, the city of Rubizhne, in Eastern Ukraine, was captured by Russia. The city of Izium, also in Eastern Ukraine, was reportedly captured, though fighting continues.

18 March

See also: Battle of Mykolaiv § Ukrainian military base missile attack

Russian artillery strikes on Ukrainian military barracks in Mykolaiv, where around 200 soldiers were stationed. It is presumed nearly all 200 soldiers were killed, as only one survivor was pulled from the rubble the next day and temperatures reached below 6 °C (43 °F) during the night.

19 March

Russian forces bombed an art school in Mariupol where 400 people were taking shelter.

20 March

See also: Kyiv shopping centre bombing

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Russia's cruise missile attack on Kyiv's Retroville shopping mall on 20 March

The deputy commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Andrey Paliy, was confirmed to have been shot dead by Ukrainian forces.

Around 11 p.m., the Kyiv shopping center Retroville, in Podilskyi district, was hit by a Russian Kalibr missile. The shopping center was storing equipment for Ukrainian forces. The attack resulted in at least 8 deaths.

21 March

See also: Sumykhimprom chemical plant ammonia leak

An ammonia leak occurred from the Sumykhimprom chemical plant, located in Sumy, Ukraine.

22 March

The Ukrainian state agency responsible for the Chernobyl exclusion zone reported that Russian forces had destroyed a new laboratory at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The laboratory, which opened in 2015, worked to improve the management of radioactive waste, among other things. "The laboratory contained highly active samples and samples of radionuclides that are now in the hands of the enemy, which we hope will harm itself and not the civilized world," the agency said in its statement.

23 March

A senior US defence official said that Ukrainian forces had pushed Russian forces back on the frontlines east of Kyiv. The official added that Russian forces were becoming more active in the eastern part of Ukraine in the Donbas area, saying they were "applying a lot more energy" in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

24 March

See also: Berdiansk port attack

At around 07:45 local time (05:45 UTC), an explosion occurred onboard Russian Navy's Saratov Alligator-class landing ship while the vessel was berthed in Berdiansk. Ukrainian forces have claimed that they hit the ship with a Tochka ballistic missile, but the cause of the explosion is yet to be verified. The two other landing ships accompanying the vessel quickly left the port (one of them on fire), and it is currently unknown whether they sustained any damage during the explosion and subsequent fire onboard Saratov.

The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, stated that by the morning of March 24, the city of Izium was completely taken under control by the units of the Russian army. This was later denied by Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian forces had used phosphorus bombs.

25 March

See also: Ukrainian Air Force command center airstrike

The Ukrainian forces mounted counterattacks on Kyiv's eastern approaches, recapturing some settlements such as Lukianovka and defensive positions. To the immediate northwest of the capital, the fighting for Irpin continued, most of the town remaining in the Ukrainian hands amid sustained Russian artillery fire. The Russian forces took over the city of Slavutych north of Kyiv, close to the Chernobyl nuclear site. A Ukrainian airstrike on a command post of the 49th Russian Army in Chornobayivka airfield in the Kherson Raion killed the Russian general Yakov Rezantsev. Ukrainians began a counterattack east of the city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border in Ukraine's northeast.

The Russians continued to target military and civilian infrastructure in a bombing campaign, hitting the Ukrainian Air Force command center in Vinnytsia in west-central Ukraine. Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, first deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, claimed in a media briefing that the "first stage" of Russia's military operation was then complete, with their primary focus now centered on "the liberation of Donbas".

26 March

In the ongoing battle of Kyiv, suburbs to the west and east of the capital, including Маkariv, Bucha, Irpin, and Bilohorodka, continued to be shelled by the Russian military and in some areas, such as Bucha and Nemishaeve, Russian forces were digging in. After tense street protests by locals in the occupied city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv, the Russian military agreed to withdraw provided there were no Ukrainian soldiers in the city, but set up a checkpoint outside Slavutych.

The Ukrainian military reported that they recaptured the city of Trostianets – strategically located between the larger settlements of Sumy and Kharkiv – and the villages of Poltavka and Malynivka east of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A Ukrainian counterattack also continued east of the city of Kharkiv, leading to the recovery of several settlements, such as the heavily contested village of Vilkhivka.

Fire at a fuel storage depot in Lviv after missile strikes, 26–27 March

Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said that the neutron source experimental facility in the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology came under shelling by Russian forces, adding that the fighting made it impossible to assess the damage.

Russian missile strikes also targeted industrial and military facilities, including fuel storage depots and a radio repair plant in Lviv, western Ukraine, hitting the city's limits for the first time in the course of the ongoing military invasion.

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Biden's speech in Warsaw.

The attack coincided with the US President Biden delivering a speech in Warsaw, the capital of neighboring Poland, in which he pledged continued support to Ukraine and said President Putin could not "remain in power". The White House later clarified that it was not a call for a regime change.

Anatoly Bibilov, the Russian-backed leader of Georgia's breakaway state of South Ossetia, confirmed that local forces had joined the Russian troops transferred from the region to Ukraine.

27 March

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Fire at a fuel depot in Lutsk after missile strike

Russian military continued missile strikes across Ukraine including the cities of Lutsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Rivne, while Mariupol was again subjected to sustained shelling. Ukraine's defense officials reported that the Russian forces – their ground offensive largely stalled – were attempting to regroup and establish a "corridor" around Kyiv to block supply routes to the capital. The Ukrainian military claimed on 28 March that four Russian planes, one helicopter, two drones, and two cruise missiles were downed during the previous 24 hours.

The Ukrainian army continued its counteroffensive in some areas in the Kharkiv region close to the Russian border, claiming full control of Mala Rohan and much of Vilkhivka. According to the Ukrainian military, the Russians had largely abandoned their advance in the Sumy region, but regrouped and counterattacked at Izium. The pro-Russian forces of the Luhansk People's Republic claimed the Ukrainian military lost 60 men, six tanks, and three armored personnel carriers in the region on 27 March.

The Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Brigadier General Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia's efforts to overthrow the Ukrainian government had failed and that Putin was now trying to split Ukraine per the "Korean scenario". President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Russian independent journalists that his government was ready to accept a neutral, non-nuclear status as part of a peace deal with Russia, but that any agreement would require approval in a nationwide referendum.

28 March

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that the Russian forces were regrouping in order to advance towards the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists, while bringing more warships in the Black and Azov seas closer to the coastline, probably in order to carry out more missile strikes in Ukraine. On the Kyiv front, the western suburbs of Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, and Makariv, as well as the route from and to the city of Zhytomyr to the west, and areas north of Vyshhorod remained subject to Russian shelling. Later on 28 March, Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn announced that the city of Irpin had been fully recovered by the Ukrainian forces.

Heavy fighting continued in Mariupol, where the Ukrainian forces were resisting the Russian offensive into the city's centre. Ukrainian officials accused the Russian military of forcibly deporting local civilians, including children, to Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine described the besieged city as having been turned into "dust" by the Russian military. The mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko, called for a complete evacuation of the remaining population of the city.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on 29 March that it had destroyed a large fuel depot in Ukraine's Rivne region with cruise missiles on the evening of 28 March.

29 March

See also: Attack on Belgorod and Mykolaiv government building airstrike

Mykolaiv Regional State Administration after rocket strike

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Istanbul, Turkey, for a new round of in-person talks. Ukraine proposed adopting a neutral status in exchange for security guarantees along the lines of the NATO's Article 5. The proposals also included a 15-year consultation period on the status of Russian-annexed Crimea and return of all Russian forces to the pre-invasion positions. Russia's Ministry of Defense announced "drastic reduction of military activity" on the Kyiv and Chernihiv fronts, which, as the Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky clarified, was not tantamount to a ceasefire. The United States Department of Defense cautioned that an observed movement of elements of the Russian army away from Kyiv was likely "a repositioning, not a real withdrawal".

Despite the negotiations, airstrikes and ground fighting continued unabated. The Ukrainian military reported they were holding back Russian invasion forces in the East, Southeast, and Northeast, counterattacking in certain areas. Intense fighting occurred around the suburbs of Kyiv, especially in the northwest and northeast of the capital. A Russian airstrike hit a regional government building in Mykolaiv in Ukraine's southwest, killing at least 35 and wounding 33 others.

Late on 29 March, local officials reported a series of explosions outside the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine. According to Russia's TASS agency, a temporary Russian military camp was hit by a shell fired from the Ukrainian side, wounding at least four.

30 March

Russian military continued to claim that de-escalation around Kyiv and Chernihiv for a "planned regrouping of troops" was underway in order to focus on the Donbas region. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated they had not noticed any massive withdrawal of the Russian forces, but individual units were being pulled back to replenish the heavy losses they had suffered. In the meantime, heavy fighting and shelling continued in the outskirts of Kyiv, including around Irpin. Local officials also reported heavy shelling of Chernihiv as well as the Ukrainian-controlled areas in the Donbas region, including Mariupol, Marinka, Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, Lysychansk and other settlements.

31 March

The Russian military increased their number of air sorties, their airstrikes principally focused on the areas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Izium to the south of Kharkiv, and the Donbas region. According to Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom, most of the Russian troops had withdrawn from Chernobyl nuclear power plant towards the Ukrainian border. A United States defense official also reported that the Russian forces had been drawing down in the areas north and northwest of Kyiv, including the Hostomel Airport. The Ukrainian forces continued to stage counterattacks in some areas, reclaiming the settlements of Zatyshshia, Malynivka, Vesele, Zelenyi Hai and Chervone in the Zaporizhzhia region and Sloboda and Lukashivka in the Chernihiv region. Russian forces claimed to have captured Zolota Nyva in the Donetsk region and Zhitlovka in the Luhansk region.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that a humanitarian convoy was on its way to deliver aid supplies to and evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk later said that twelve Ukrainian trucks were able to deliver humanitarian supplies to Mariupol, but the supplies were seized by Russian troops.

April 2022

1 April

The regional governor of Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed that two Ukrainian Mi-24 military helicopters had struck a fuel storage depot in the city of Belgorod on Friday after crossing into Russia at low altitude. Security camera footage of the depot showed a flash of light from what appeared to be a rocket fired from a low altitude in the sky, followed by an explosion on the ground.

The Ukrainian military confirmed that Izium was under Russian control.

2 April

Russian missiles hit the cities of Poltava and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine early on 2 April, damaging infrastructure and residential buildings, the head of the Poltava region, Dmytro Lunin said, "Poltava city is the capital of the Poltava region and Kremenchuk is one of the area's major cities." Lunin later said that at least four missiles hit two infrastructure objects in Poltava while, according to preliminary information, three enemy planes attacked the industrial facilities of Kremenchuk. He also added that there was no immediate information about possible casualties. However, neither of these incidents could be immediately verified.

The Kyiv offensive had also fallen apart several days after Russia said it would withdraw some troops from the North. The Russians retreated all the way back to Chernobyl. Ukraine's deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had retaken control over all of Kyiv Oblast.

3 April

See also: Bucha massacre

Corpses were found in Bucha resulting from the Bucha massacre, with at least 20 dead Ukrainian civilians having been seen by reporters and, according to Bucha's mayor, 280 bodies having been buried in mass graves. Human Rights Watch reported war crimes in the occupied areas of Ukraine — executions, rape, torture, and lootings.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Lithuanian film director Mantas Kvedaravičius was shot and killed in Mariupol while trying to escape.

4 April

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'Shock and Heartbreak After Ukraine Retakes Kyiv Region" - video from VOA news

President Zelenskyy accused Russia of genocide and said that sanctions from the west were not "enough" to respond to Russia's actions. The United States began pushing to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Putin signed a decree restricting visas to nationals from countries deemed "unfriendly" to Russia.

Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating a false flag in Bucha, claiming that the photos and videos were a "staged performance." United States President Joe Biden called for Putin to be tried for war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Bucha.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Ukraine's Luhansk region, said that a Russian strike had hit a tank containing nitric acid. He added that the incident occurred near the city of Rubizhne, which the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had been trying to take over. However, this claim could not be verified independently.

5 April

President Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations Security Council regarding the events in Bucha.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was not opposed to a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, but such a meeting would only be held if a document was agreed upon beforehand.

6 April

Pope Francis criticized the "impotence" of international organizations failing to stop the invasion.

Russian artillery fire killed at least four people and wounded four others at a humanitarian aid distribution point on Wednesday as Russian forces bombarded towns, cities and rail infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, local officials said. Later, Ukrainian Railways reported there were a number of casualties after three rockets hit an unspecified rail station in the east, without giving further details.

7 April

The Russian defence ministry said its missiles had destroyed four fuel storage facilities in the Ukrainian cities of Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Chuhuiv overnight. The ministry claimed that the facilities were used by Ukraine to supply its troops near the cities of Mykolaiv and Kharkiv and in the Donbas region in the far southeast.

President Zelenskyy told the Greek Parliament that Ukraine needed more anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems, ammunition, and armored vehicles. In Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked NATO for "weapons, weapons, and weapons." The United States Congress began passing a bill that would make it easier to send weapons to Ukraine.

The United Nations General Assembly expelled Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that Russia had suffered significant losses and called the casualties a "tragedy".

8 April

See also: Kramatorsk railway station attack

Kramatorsk railway station after the bombing

Russia said it had destroyed a training centre for foreign mercenaries near the city of Odessa. A defence ministry spokesperson said in a briefing, "High-precision missiles of the Bastion coastal missile system destroyed a foreign mercenary assembly and training centre near the village of Krasnosilka, northeast of Odessa." However, this claim could not be verified.

A train station in Kramatorsk was hit by a Russian rocket strike, killing at least 57 people and wounding 109 others. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the Donetsk region, said thousands of people had been at the station at the time the two rockets struck. Kyrylenko published a photograph online showing several bodies on the ground beside piles of suitcases and other luggage. Armed police personnel wearing flak jackets were also visible. Another photo showed rescue services tackling what appeared to be a fire, with a pall of grey smoke rising into the air. However, these photos could not be immediately verified.

The Russian Ministry of Defence denied the attack and said in a statement, "All statements by representatives of the Kyiv nationalist regime about the 'rocket attack' allegedly carried out by Russia on April 8 at the railway station in the city of Kramatorsk are a provocation and are absolutely untrue."

As European Council adopted a fifth package of restrictive measures against Russia, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen met President Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The two visited Bucha's mass graves where President von der Leyen told reporters that "the unthinkable has happened here". Later that day the two held a press conference where President von der Leyen handed over to President Zelenskyy a questionnaire for joining the EU. She was accompanied by Josep Borrell, who expressed "confidence that EU states would soon agree to his proposal to provide Ukraine with an additional €500 million to support the armed forces in their fight against the Russian army."

9 April

Russian president Putin appointed Russian Army General Aleksandr Dvornikov, commander of Russia's Southern Military District, commander of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Dvornikov became known for his command of the Russian forces during the Russian military intervention in Syria.

Russian forces again hit a storage tank containing nitric acid in Rubizhne, according to Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Ukraine's Luhansk region. He added that the tank contained about three tons of nitric acid.

New graves with dozens of Ukrainian civilians were found in Buzova, a liberated village near the capital Kyiv that for weeks was occupied by Russian forces.

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson met President Zelenskyy in Kyiv, offering armored vehicles, anti-ship missile systems and promising loans and an easing of tariffs.

10 April

Satellite images showed an eight-mile-long (about 13 km) Russian military convoy moving south through the eastern Ukraine town of Velykyi Burluk towards Kharkiv.

Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of Dnipro's military administration, claimed that Dnipro Airport, as well as the infrastructure around it, had been completely destroyed by Russian shelling.

Russia's Defence Ministry said that Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters had destroyed a convoy of Ukraine's armoured vehicles and anti-aircraft warfare systems. The ministry published video footage of Ka-52 attack helicopters flying at extremely low altitude, launching missiles and firing from guns at ground targets. The location and timing of the attack was not specified.

11 April

The Russian Defence Minister claimed that high-precision sea-based Kalibr missiles on the southern outskirts of Dnipro destroyed equipment from a S-300 anti-aircraft missile division supplied to Ukraine by a European country, which was hidden in a hangar. Four S-300 launchers and up to 25 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel were also hit. The Government of Slovakia, having previously confirmed the donation of its S-300 air defence system to Ukraine, denied claims by Russia.

Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, marking the first visit from a Western leader since the start of the invasion. The Austrian chancellor said the conversation with the Russian leader was "very direct, open and tough" and that meeting with Putin was "not a friendly visit".

12 April

In a Telegram statement, the Azov battalion claimed that Russian forces dropped "a poisonous substance of unknown origin" from an unmanned aerial vehicle onto Ukrainian military and civilians in Mariupol. Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol said that city officials were awaiting additional information from military forces, and speculated that in one possible scenario, the "discharge of an unknown chemical" could be "a test for the reaction in general".

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that high-precision air-based and sea-based missiles destroyed one ammunition depot and a secure hangar with Ukrainian aircraft inside at the Starokostiantyniv military airfield, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, as well as one ammunition depot near Gavrilovka in the Kiev region.

13 April

See also: Sinking of the Moskva

R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missile, two of which, according to the Ukrainian claim, struck Moskva before it sank.

According to a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry, 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, surrendered in the besieged port city of Mariupol. However, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said it had no information about the surrender. Later that day, Denys Prokopenko, the commander of the Azov Regiment, acknowledged that some Ukrainian defenders had surrendered.

Ukraine claimed the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, was hit by two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, setting the ship on fire. Moskva later suffered a munition explosion due to the fires. Later, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that the warship had suffered serious damage and that all its crew had been evacuated, but claimed that it remained afloat, which was confirmed by The Pentagon. The claim is disputed by Russia who said that the sinking was due to an accidental fire. Russia later said that measures were being taken to tow the stricken ship back to port.

In an interview, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that Russia will view U.S. and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory as legitimate military targets. He added that any attempts by the West to inflict significant damage on Russia's military or its separatist allies in Ukraine will be "harshly suppressed".

Ivan Ariefiev, the regional military administration spokesperson of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said that Russian forces attacked Novodanylivka village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with phosphorus bombs.

14 April

Russian cruiser Moskva which sank in the Black Sea, possibly following Ukrainian military action.

Russia claimed that two heavily-armed Ukrainian combat helicopters entered Russian airspace and conducted at least six airstrikes on residential buildings in Bryansk Oblast. The governor of the Belgorod region claimed that a village there was also attacked, but that no one was injured.

Russian authorities accused Ukraine of shelling the town of Klimovo and the village of Spodorashino. Additionally, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Ukrainian armed forces had opened fire at the Novyye Yurovichi border checkpoint in the Bryansk region.

Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that the Russian cruiser Moskva, which Ukraine claimed to have hit the previous day, had sunk in the Black Sea while being towed to port.

15 April

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that its S-400 defense systems had shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter, which was allegedly used to attack the Klimovo village in the Bryansk region of Russia.

The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed that the Ilyich Steel and Iron Plant in Mariupol had been "liberated" from Ukrainian forces, implying that Russian forces had taken control of the plant.

The Ministry also claimed that its strategic rocket forces had "eliminated up to 30 Polish mercenaries" in a strike on the village of Iziumske.

Ukrainian forces regained control of Rohan in Kharkiv Oblast.

16 April

Russia claimed to have destroyed production buildings of an armoured vehicle plant in Kyiv and a military repair facility in Mykolaiv using high-precision air-launched long-range weapons.

Russia also claimed to have downed one Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near the city of Izium.

Russian officials said that Major General Vladimir Petrovich Frolov was killed in combat in Ukraine.

17 April

Russia claimed that it had destroyed an ammunitions factory near the settlement of Brovary in Kyiv region using high-precision, air-launched missiles.

18 April

Further information: Battle of Donbas (2022)

Putin bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine and by the international community of committing war crimes in the town of Bucha, by signing a decree giving the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title of Guards for their defense of the "motherland and state interests" and praising the "mass heroism and valor, tenacity, and courage" [sic] of its members.

The city of Lviv was hit by five missiles according to Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyy. Three of the missiles damaged military infrastructure installations and one hit a tyre shop, causing several civilian deaths.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine announced Russia has started an offensive in the Donbas region.

19 April

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, said that Russian forces had seized the city of Kreminna and that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from the city.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "another phase" of the invasion had begun.

20 April

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that Russian forces had hit 1,053 Ukrainian military facilities overnight and destroyed 106 firing positions.

Ukraine accused Russia of bombing a hospital sheltering 300 people in the city of Mariupol.

21 April

Putin claimed to have secured victory in Mariupol. However, he cancelled plans to storm the last Ukrainian holdout, the Azovstal iron and steel works.

See also

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
• 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
• Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation – 2014 forcible acquisition of territory
• Control of cities during the Russo-Ukrainian War
• International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
• List of military engagements during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
• List of Russian generals killed during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
• Post-Soviet conflicts – Military conflicts in the former Soviet Union
• Second Cold War – Tensions between the United States and China or Russia since 1991
• War in Donbas – Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014