Initial Russian attacks (February–March 2022) Kharkiv Oblast , March 2022 On 24 February, after Russian President
Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine, Russian forces crossed the
Russia-Ukraine border and began advancing towards
Kharkiv. Ukrainian soldiers were deployed to positions along key routes into the city, and residents began volunteering for military service within hours of the invasion. A Russian missile struck the
Chuhuiv air base, which housed
Bayraktar TB2 drones. According to
open-source intelligence, the attack left damage to fuel storage areas and infrastructure. On 25 February, fierce fighting continued in the northern outskirts of
Kharkiv, especially in the village of
Tsyrkuny. On 26 February, the governor of
Kharkiv Oblast,
Oleh Syniehubov, stated that the city of
Kharkiv was still under Ukrainian control, and announced a curfew for the city. In the early morning of 27 February, a gas pipeline in
Kharkiv was destroyed by
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
Kharkiv was still under Ukrainian control despite the overnight attack by
Russian forces. Meanwhile, Hennadiy Matsegora, the mayor of
Kupiansk, agreed to hand over control of the city to
Russian forces who were threatening to storm it, and accused
Ukrainian forces of abandoning it when the invasion began. He was later accused of treason by the
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. On 2 March, Russian
paratroopers landed in
Kharkiv during the early morning and started clashing with
Ukrainian forces. Clashes also took place near a military hospital of the city as Russian paratroopers descended on it.
Kharkiv Oblast's Police Chief Volodymyr Tymoshko later stated that the situation was under control. Russian forces entered the town of
Balakliia the same day. On 4 March,
Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in
Kharkiv Oblast, reportedly pushing the
Russian forces towards the
Sumy Oblast, and reaching part of the Russia-Ukraine border. By 7 March, Ukraine claimed to have retaken
Chuhuiv near
Kharkiv in a counter-attack overnight. During the day, Ukraine also claimed to have killed Russian Maj. Gen.
Vitaly Gerasimov, while also killing and wounding other senior Russian Army officers during a battle near
Kharkiv. On 8 March, Ukraine stated that it had repelled an attack by
Russian forces on
Izium.
Donetsk Oblast On the morning of 25 February, Russian forces, along with allied separatists, advanced from territory controlled by the
Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) towards
Mariupol, encountering Ukrainian forces in
Pavlopil. The Ukrainians were victorious, destroying at least 20 Russian tanks. In the evening, the Russian Navy began an amphibious assault 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Mariupol, along the coast of the
Sea of Azov. Russian forces bombarded Mariupol throughout 26 February; the city's mayor
Vadym Boychenko claimed that schools and apartment buildings had been struck. On the morning of 27 February, it was reported that a Russian tank column was quickly advancing towards Mariupol from DPR-held territory, but the attack was prevented by Ukrainian forces. Six Russian soldiers were captured. The same day, Donetsk Oblast governor
Pavlo Kyrylenko said that
Volnovakha was undergoing a humanitarian crisis, as Russian shelling had practically destroyed the entire city. On 1 March, Ukrainian forces began a counteroffensive toward
Horlivka, which had been controlled by the DPR since 2014. On 2 March, separatist-held Donetsk had been under shelling for several days. Some neighborhoods had no electricity supply and there were burnt cars on the streets. Ukrainian official
Oleksiy Arestovych stated that the Ukrainian forces went on the offensive for the first time during the war, advancing towards
Horlivka.
Ihor Zhdanov later claimed that "there were reports" that a part of the city had been captured by Ukrainian forces. According to Ukrainian reports, Ukraine's
95th Air Assault Brigade had begun attacking the city the previous day. ablaze amid
Russian bombing in Mariupol. Ukrainian authorities stated on 3 March that 34 civilians had been killed in Russian shelling in Mariupol in the previous 24 hours. On 5 March, a ceasefire was declared in Volnovakha to allow civilians to evacuate, but was later scuttled with Ukrainian officials blaming Russian shelling continuing during the evacuation process. They added that about 400 civilians were still able to leave the city. Russian President
Vladimir Putin however blamed Ukrainian forces for the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement. On 6 March, both sides blamed each other for the failure of a second attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol. On 9 March, a building acting as a maternity ward and children's hospital in Mariupol was
bombed by the
Russian Air Force at around 17:00, killing five civilians and injuring 17. It also claimed that they had advanced and had further tightened the siege of Mariupol. Videos later posted on social media showed Russian forces in many neighborhoods of Volnovakha. On 12 March, the
Associated Press independently confirmed that Volnovakha had been captured by pro-Russian separatists and much of it had been destroyed in the fighting.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donetsk Oblast, stated that while the settlements of
Nikolske,
Manhush and Urzuf had been occupied by Russian troops, they had yet to capture any key cities, with the exception of Volnovakha. In the northern Donetsk Oblast, the
Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery was bombed around 22:00 on 12 March, wounding 30 people and damaging the monastery. The Russian Defence Ministry stated on 13 March that Russian forces had captured the settlements of
Nikolske,
Blahodatne,
Volodymyrivka and
Pavlivka in Donetsk Oblast, in an attempt to reach
Velyka Novosilka. The Ukrainian military stated that Russian forces had captured the settlements of
Staromlynivka,
Yevhenivka, Pavlivka and Yehorivka during the day. On 14 March, Donetsk was hit by a missile attack.
Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic, stated that they had shot down a Ukrainian
Tochka-U missile fired on the city of Donetsk, but parts of the missile fell into the city centre, killing multiple civilians. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 23 civilians were killed and 28 more wounded. However, the Ukrainian military denied conducting the attack and stated that it was "unmistakably a Russian rocket or another munition", which was supported by an assessment of the
Conflict Intelligence Team, an investigative journalism group. Ukrainian forces later said that Russian troops of the
336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade and the
11th Guards Air Assault Brigade had tried to advance in the Donetsk Oblast at 17:00, but were repulsed with up to 100 soldiers killed and six of their vehicles being destroyed. On 20 March, Russian officials confirmed that
Andrey Paliy, a deputy commander of the
Black Sea Fleet, had been killed in Mariupol.
Luhansk Oblast units convene in
Novoaidar, March 2022 , March 2022 after Russian shelling, 13 March On 24 February, the Ukrainian military said that Russian forces were attempting to cross the
Siverskyi Donets River and penetrate the Ukrainian defensive line amid heavy clashes for
Shchastia and
Stanytsia Luhanska. By 27 February, Luhansk Oblast governor
Serhiy Haidai acknowledged that February that both cities had come under Russian occupation, and had been practically destroyed by Russian shelling. On 2 March, forces of the Luhansk People's Republic and Russian troops captured
Novoaidar, taking over a base of Ukraine's
79th Brigade. Further north, a Russian convoy of 60 vehicles entered
Starobilsk through the fields near the villages of Shulhynka, Omelkove, and Khvorostianivka. Inside the city, the Russians were confronted by protesting locals waving Ukrainian flags and singing the
Ukrainian national anthem. The column continued in the direction of
Svatove. The next day, civilians carrying Ukrainian flags protested against Russian troops in Svatove. After talks with locals, the soldiers withdrew from the town. Also on 3 March, LPR officials announced that in addition to Novoaidar and Starobilsk, their forces had taken control of , , and
Krasnorichenske, all located on the outskirts of
Sievierodonetsk. The Russian ministry of defense claimed that LPR forces had reached the northern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk on the same date. Haidai stated on 6 March that fighting was taking place on the outskirts of
Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk and
Rubizhne, as Ukrainian units had fallen back to a new front line in order to avoid encirclement or a Russian breakthrough. He added that Ukrainian forces had lost control of
Svatove,
Starobilsk and
Novopskov, though Russian forces were not deployed in the cities in large numbers. He also said that
Popasna and
Hirske were being continuously shelled. On 8 March, Ukrainian officials stated that ten civilians had been killed and eight wounded in shelling on
Severodonetsk during the day. Haidai, meanwhile, stated that Russian forces had occupied 70 percent of Luhansk Oblast. On 12 March, Ukrainian forces confirmed the death of Colonel Valery Hudz, the commander of the Ukrainian
24th Mechanized Brigade, while fighting on the Luhansk frontline. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using
white phosphorus munitions on the town of
Popasna, located in the Luhansk Oblast, during the night of 12–13 March. On 22 March, the head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, claimed that "almost 80% of the territory" of the Luhansk region was under separatist control, with
Popasna,
Lysychansk,
Rubizhne,
Severodonetsk and
Kreminna remaining Ukrainian-held. He noted that the situation in the battlefield was "stably tense" and that units of the
People's Militia of the LPR were striving to capture Popasna and Rubizhne.
Battle of Donbas (April–September 2022) April 2022 drone shot down by the
National Guard of Ukraine in
Luhansk Oblast, April 2022 On 25 March, the Russian defence ministry stated that it was prepared to begin a second phase of military operations with the aim of occupying major Ukrainian cities in eastern Ukraine. According to the ministry, Russian-backed separatists were in control of 93% of Luhansk Oblast and 54% of Donetsk Oblast. After Russia abandoned its
offensive to capture Kyiv, it shifted its attention to eastern and southern Ukraine. The Russian military began redeploying units from northern Ukraine to the east, but many of these troops appeared to be nearly combat-ineffective due to heavy losses. However, Russia still amassed tens of thousands of troops, declaring its aim to fully capture the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. It managed to
secure Izium on 1 April, although heavy fighting continued around the settlement over the next few days. According to local authorities 80% of
Izium's residential buildings were destroyed in the battle. On 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 in Izium. Russia and the pro-Russian separatists continued to besiege Mariupol, where they made little progress. However, Russian troops managed to divide the Ukrainian holdouts in Mariupol into two or three pockets on 10 April. To support the operations aimed at Sievierodonetsk, Popasna, and Rubizhne, Russia made a push south of Izium toward
Barvinkove and
Sloviansk. Ukraine responded by shifting more units to hold off the Russians at Izium. At the same time, Russia attacked around Kharkiv to pin down local Ukrainian forces. On 16 April, Russia warned the remaining defenders of Mariupol to surrender; the Ukrainians ignored the demand. On 18 April, Ukraine launched counter-attacks, and retook several small towns and villages near Kharkiv and Izium. Also on 18 April, Zelenskyy announced that the "
battle for Donbas" had begun, as Russian forces launched an offensive across a 300-mile front. According to Russian officials, 1,260 military targets were hit by rockets and artillery. The initial Russian bombardment focused on Rubizhne, Popasna, and Marinka. LNR commander Mikhail Kishchik was killed in this battle. Over the next days, Russia gained little territory despite attacks all across the frontline. Facing heavy Ukrainian resistance, the Russian and separatist forces were able to advance into parts of Rubizhne, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk. Some reports also suggested that fighting in Kreminna was still ongoing. On 21 April, the Russians claimed to have killed over 4,000 Ukrainian troops in Mariupol, and to have captured a further 1,478. By 23 April, Ukrainian counter-attacks had reportedly further stalled the Russian advance. In the following days, Russia continued its attempts to break through the Ukrainian defenses, possibly in an aim to encircle the Izium-Donetsk City salient. Fighting was concentrated at Sievierodonetsk, Rubizhne, Popasna, Marinka, Kharkiv, and Izium. Russia, the LPR, and the DPR made limited gains, capturing a number of villages and the towns of Popivka, Pischane, Zhytlivka, and Kreminna.
First Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive and the recapture of Mariupol and Sievierodonetsk (May–September 2022) in
Mariupol, 19 May 2022 visiting the
24th Mechanized Brigade on the eastern front, near
Bakhmut and
Lysychansk, 5 June 2022 after Russian shelling, 13 June 2022 On 30 April, Ukraine launched a large-scale counter-offensive at Kharkiv, retaking the city's suburbs and several more towns over the following days. By 4 May, Russian forces had been pushed back to such a distance that most of their artillery could no longer strike Kharkiv. The
ISW also reported that Ukraine "may successfully push
Russian forces out of artillery range in
Kharkiv in the coming days." Following the capture of Popasna, Russia began attempting to encircle Sievierodonetsk. On 7 May, it was reported that
Ukrainian forces had successfully pushed back Russian forces stationed around
Kharkiv, with the city getting further out of range for
Russian forces. The same day,
Ukrainian forces also reported retaking five villages northeast of
Kharkiv. Quoting a Ukrainian official,
The New York Times said that the battle for Kharkiv was not over, but that at the moment, Ukraine was dominating, and that
Russian troops were destroying bridges as they were retreating. On 11 May,
Ukrainian forces claimed to have recaptured four settlements. The counteroffensive had the potential to bring
Ukrainian forces within several kilometers of the Russian border. On 10 May, Ukraine made further gains on the Kharkiv front, forcing Russia to redeploy forces from the Izium front to the north. In addition, Ukrainian artillery destroyed an entire Russian
battalion tactical group attempting a river crossing in the
battle of the Siverskyi Donets. Meanwhile, Russia and the DPR attempted to cement their occupation in eastern Ukraine through political and economic means, likely in an attempt to integrate these areas into the existing separatist republics or establish new ones. On the other side, Ukrainian civilians began organizing resistance movements. Heavy fighting subsequently took place at the village of
Dovhenke south of Izium. On 14 May, the
ISW reported that "Ukraine thus appears to have won the
battle of Kharkiv." The Mayor of
Kharkiv said to the BBC: "There was no shelling in the city for the last five days. There was only one attempt from Russians to hit the city with a missile rocket near
Kharkiv airport, but the missile was eliminated by
Ukrainian Air Defence." Russia continued its attempts to encircle Sievierodonetsk and began to focus on cutting the highway at Bakhmut. By 14 May, the Ukrainians claimed to have killed over 6,000 Russian soldiers in Mariupol. They also claimed to have destroyed 78 tanks and 100 other armored vehicles. On 15 May, Ukrainian forces reached the border near Kharkiv, while continuing to push back Russian and LPR units. Four days later, the Russians announced that they had taken an additional 2,439 Ukrainians prisoners in Mariupol, bringing the total number captured during the siege to 3,917. In addition, it was reported that unrestincluding public protestswas growing among pro-Russian collaborators and separatists in eastern Ukraine, as they accused Russian forces of corruption, incompetence, and forced mobilizations. Russia also intensified air and artillery strikes targeting Ukrainian positions around Izium, possibly to prepare for renewed attacks. At the northern front, Russia and separatist forces retook a few villages and fortified their positions to stall the Ukrainian counter-offensive. On 20 May,
Russian forces again shelled several villages in the
Kharkiv district, including the city of
Kharkiv itself, using
BM-21 Grad,
BM-27 Uragan and
BM-30 Smerch multiple rocket launchers. On 21 May, the Ukrainian police confirmed the recovery of the bodies of six military officials, including a Russian
colonel, in the settlement of
Zolochiv. On 22 May, the
Russian forces made minimal progress in eastern Ukraine. New reports confirmed that
Russian troops had occupied
Rubizhne in the northern
Kharkiv Oblast on 19 May. In northern Kharkiv, Russian forces brought in reinforcements to maintain their positions on the west bank of the
Seversky Donets River, instead of retreating across the river to use it as a defensive position, to prevent further Ukrainian advances north or east that could jeopardize Russian communication lines along the
Izium axis. On 24 May,
Russian forces attempted to retake
Ternova in northern
Kharkiv Oblast. On 23 May, Russian forces
took control of
Lyman and attacked Avdiivka. On 24 May, Russian forces attacked from Popasna with the aim of cutting off Bakhmut, Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, gaining some ground. Ukrainian forces made a controlled withdrawal southwest of Popasna to strengthen their defensive position at Bakhmut. Russia subsequently captured
Svitlodarsk. Around this time, Ukrainian defence adviser Yuriy Sak publicly demanded more
multiple launch rocket systems to reinforce Ukrainian artillery capabilities. On 31 May, the United States announced a military aid package that included
precision rocket systems with a range of 80 km. After a
fierce month-long battle that ruined much of the city, Russian and LPR forces captured
Sievierodonetsk along the
Siverskyi Donets river on 25 June. On the same day, the
battle of Lysychansk began, which also saw a Russian victory on 2 July. The following day Russian and LPR forces declared full control of the entire Luhansk region. On 4 July,
The Guardian reported that after the capture of the Luhansk oblast, that Russian invasion troops would continue their invasion into the adjacent Donetsk oblast to attack the cities of
Sloviansk and
Bakhmut. The Russian military declared an "operational pause" to rest and replenish front line forces in Luhansk. On 9 July, a Russian
rocket attack on two residential buildings in
Chasiv Yar killed at least 48 people. On 25–26 July, after Russia's operational pause concluded, Russian sources reported that the towns of Berestove,
Novoluhanske, and the nearby
Vuhlehirska Power Station had been captured. The
Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested Ukrainian defenders likely conducted a deliberate withdrawal from the area. On 13 August, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured the village of
Udy, northwest of
Kharkiv. The Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of Ukraine's General Staff, Oleksiy Hromov, alleged on 1 September that Russian president Vladimir Putin had ordered Russian forces to capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast by 15 September via a renewed offensive. Hromov further alleged that Russia was going to rotate its recently established
3rd Army Corps to the Donetsk front. A senior U.S. defense official dismissed the purported deployment of the "older, unfit, and ill-trained" 3rd Army Corps personnel as being unable to increase Russia's overall combat power in Ukraine.
Second Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive (September–October 2022) On 6 September 2022, Ukrainian forces began a surprise counter-offensive on the Kharkiv front that resulted in Russian forces retreating over 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) east. On 4 September, Zelenskyy announced the liberation of a village in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian authorities released a video of their forces entering
Ozerne. On 8 September, Ukrainian forces recaptured more than 20 settlements in
Kharkiv Oblast, including the towns of
Balakliia and
Shevchenkove and 'penetrated Russian defense positions up to 50 km' according to the General Staff of the
Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the same day, a representative of the Russian occupation authorities announced that the 'defense of
Kupiansk had begun' and that additional Russian forces were on their way to support the effort, suggesting that Ukrainian elements were close to the town. On 9 September, Ukrainian forces reached the outskirts of Kupiansk and destroyed the main bridge over the Oskil river in the city center, limiting the ability of the Russian Army to retreat or to bring in reinforcements. In the morning of 10 September, Ukrainian soldiers posted pictures of the Ukrainian flag being raised in front of the town hall. Also on 10 September, Izium, a central command post of the Russians in the region, fell to Ukrainian forces, "with thousands of Russian soldiers abandoning ammunition stockpiles and equipment as they fled." Russia responded with missile strikes on civilian areas and on non-military infrastructure facilities like power stations. The
Russian Ministry of Defense then formally announced
Russian forces' withdrawal from the majority of
Kharkiv Oblast on 11 September, with
Russia only controlling parts of the region on the east bank of the
Oskil River. By October 2022, Ukrainian forces had retaken several villages and towns in northern Luhansk and northern Donetsk, including
Yatskivka, , ,
Hrekivka, ,
Nadiya,
Andriivka, and
Stelmakhivka, among others. On 1 October, Ukrainian forces entered
Lyman after
a short siege. Russian forces had fallen back to the P-66 highway near the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border, anchored by the settlements of Svatove and Kreminna, the first city to be taken during the battle of Donbas. On 2–3 October, Ukrainian forces began
attacking towards Kreminna and Svatove in an attempt to break the Russian front line along the P-66 in northern Luhansk.
First Russian winter campaign (November 2022–May 2023) Early winter (November–December 2022) during the
battle of Bakhmut, November 2022 Russian forces launched a renewed offensive in southern and northern Donetsk Oblast in early November, with Russian troops intensifying their attempts to break through Ukrainian defensive lines in Bakhmut,
Soledar, Pavlivka, and
Vuhledar. On 11 November, DPR forces were reported to have entered Pavlivka. Russian forces, including
Wagner Group PMC fighters, overran defensive lines south of Bakhmut in late November, claiming to have captured the settlements of
Kurdiumivka,
Ozarianivka,
Zelenopillia, and
Andriivka by 30 November, while clashes in
Opytne continued. By December 2022, the Donbas was the site of the fiercest fighting in Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian forces funneled reinforcements from other fronts to the
Bakhmut–
Soledar axis while Ukraine's eastern counteroffensive largely stalled along the Lyman–Kreminna–Svatove axis. Russia spent much of the month consolidating defense lines along the
Kreminna–Svatove front, seeking to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough to the P-66 highway; the Ukrainians, including the
92nd Mechanized Brigade, attempted intermittent local counterattacks across the line of contact while repelling many local Russian assaults. The Kreminna–Svatove line became a defensive flashpoint for Russia, which reportedly reinforced the area with two battalions of
T-90 tanks and a few
BMPT armored fighting vehicles, and reportedly mobilized elements of the
144th Guards Motor Rifle Division and
8th Combined Arms Army. Both the Russians and Ukrainians claimed to be conducting offensive operations along this front line and repelling local enemy assaults; on 10 December, the Russian defense ministry said it was making new advances east of Lyman while the
Institute for the Study of War assessed that Ukraine "likely" controlled the contested front line settlement of
Chervonopopivka as of 22 December. Meanwhile, multiple Russian sources reported that Wagner fighters had captured and were clearing
Yakovlivka, located along Soledar's northeastern flank, by 7 December. The Russians also claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian
Mi-8 helicopter in Yakovlivka on 8 December. Ukraine was reportedly rotating in fresh units in the Donbas by mid–December, particularly from the Kherson front. The
57th Motorized Brigade,
36th Marine Brigade, and the
46th Airmobile Brigade reinforced the Bakhmut front alongside the
24th Mechanized Brigade, relieving the
93rd, which had defended Bakhmut and Soledar for months. The
28th Brigade reportedly rotated to
Kostiantynivka and the
18th Marine Infantry Battalion, 35th Marine Brigade reinforced
Nevelske and
Pervomaiske. Heavy clashes along the Bakhmut–Soledar axis continued by 10 December, typified by grueling
trench warfare,
drone warfare, artillery duels, and minor ground assaults amid freezing temperatures. Zelenskyy accused Russia of having "destroyed" Bakhmut, saying there was "no residential space that hasn't been damaged by shelling for a long time." On 10 December, the Ukrainian General Staff said more than 20 settlements were bombarded in fighting in the Bakhmut area alone. Ukrainian paratroopers of the
71st Separate Huntsman Brigade reported repelling a Russian "sabotage and reconnaissance group" with mortar fire near Bakhmut, "eliminating" at least two attackers. On 16 December, Wagner PMC forces reportedly finished clearing Yakovlivka, further threatening Soledar's northeastern flank. In southern and western Donetsk Oblast, the
battle of Marinka continued, Russia also continued demolition and reconstruction projects in Mariupol, reportedly seeking to turn the ruined city into a
garrison city. Observers accused Russia of using the rebuilding efforts to cover up and destroy evidence of war crimes in Mariupol, particularly the March 2022
Mariupol theatre airstrike. Russian regular, separatist, and Wagner PMC forces continued attempts to break defense lines on Bakhmut's southern and eastern flanks via small probing attacks; Wagner fighters spearheaded ground assaults into the city and its
satellite suburbs, each of which Ukraine had turned into a stronghold. Media, government officials, and eyewitnesses described the fighting in Bakhmut as a "meat grinder" as both Ukrainian and Russian troops reportedly suffered heavy casualties daily with negligible changes on the front line. The
ISW assessed that the pace of Russia's Donbas advances in November and December was roughly equivalent to the pace in October. According to the ISW, Russian forces gained a total of 192 sq km in the Bakhmut sector between 1 October and 20 December. Footage posted online by a Russian journalist confirmed Russian forces had captured Andriivka, 10 km south of Bakhmut, by 22 December. The journalist claimed that Wagner fighters were fighting near Klishchiivka, where Ukraine reportedly had established strong defensive positions. Meanwhile, Ukraine continued to hold the northern half of Opytne and the western half of Marinka. Ukraine's Eastern Military Command reported that the Bakhmut area was shelled 225 times on 26 December alone.
Russian breakthroughs (December 2022–March 2023) Kyrylo Budanov visiting troops in Bakhmut, December 2022 fighters pose after capturing the village of
Mykolaivka, north of
Soledar, 2 February 2023 Russian forces intensified their encirclement attempts of Bakhmut in the winter, as Wagner
broke through Ukrainian defense lines in the salt-mining town of
Soledar on 27 December, capturing
Bakhmutske. Soledar itself was taken by 16 January 2023, degrading Bakhmut's northeastern defensive flanks. The recapture of Soledar allowed Russian forces, spearheaded by Wagner fighters, to further flank Bakhmut from the northeastern direction and assert control over a portion of the T0513 highway towards Siversk. Defences along Bakhmut's northern flank collapsed as the Ukrainians withdrew from
Krasna Hora on 11 February. Wagner advanced 2-3 kilometers to the west of Blahodatne, capturing the area near the main
M-03 highway leading into Bakhmut. Both the
UK Defence Ministry and Ukraine's governor of Donetsk Pavlo Kyrylenko said the Russians were attempting a
pincer movement of Bakhmut, enveloping the city from multiple directions and establishing fire control over most Ukrainian supply routes into it. In mid-January, a battle took place in
Vodiane. On 15 January, around 9-10 in the morning, elements of the DPR's
1st Slovyanska Separate Mechanized Brigade attacked eastern Vodiane from a frozen-over flooded area west of Opytne. These elements were not supported by artillery. At 12pm, a convoy of eight to nine Russian
BMP-2s heading towards Ukrainian-controlled west Vodiane was hit by Ukrainian fire, injuring 70% of the soldiers involved, according to the Russian commander of the attack. Two
T-72Bs then approached the town, but were destroyed. A third and final attack took place in the afternoon, when some BMPs attempted to drive close to the bridge between Vodiane and Opytne (which had been destroyed during the fighting), but were also destroyed by artillery. There were also attacks on
Sieverne, west of Avdiivka. On 10 February 2023, Russian fighters in Vodiane claimed that there is "not a single living creature in the town" from the destruction. A group of Russian soldiers from the "Storm" detachment from
Kaliningrad released a video in March 2023, claiming they were suffering large losses while fighting in Vodiane. By 22 February, Russian units had crossed the M-03 and began assaulting
Yahidne and Berkhivka, northwest of Bakhmut, with the Ukrainians claiming to have repelled the assaults amid heavy fighting. Wagner claimed to have captured both villages by 26 February, however Ukraine's general staff said Russian assaults remained "unsuccessful" amid heavy shelling. Geolocated footage on 4 March showed Russian troops were advancing along both banks of the Berkhivka reservoir located about 4 kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, on the approaches to
Khromove and
Dubovo-Vasylivka villages, respectively. On 7 March, Ukraine ceded eastern Bakhmut to Russian forces, retreating west of the
Bakhmutka river. Wagner claimed to have advanced along the M-03 and expanded the buffer zone north and west of Bakhmut, capturing the villages of Dubovo-Vasylivka and Zaliznianske by 16 March, however Ukrainian defenders stalled the advance along this axis by 19 March, repelling assaults on
Orikhovo-Vasylivka,
Bohdanivka, and Khromove villages. In early March 2023, Zelenskyy referred to the ongoing fighting in the Donbas as "painful and difficult".
Clashes around Avdiivka escalated in February and March, as the Ukrainians claimed Russian forces had begun an attempted encirclement effort of the city. Russian forces increased the amount of airstrikes in the area as ground units advanced towards Avdiivka's outskirts from the north and northeast, capturing
Krasnohorivka (9 km north of Avdiivka) and Vesele (7 km north of Avdiivka) by 21 March. Further to the south, the grinding
battle for Marinka had reduced the city to "post-apocalyptic" ruins as Russian ground units made minimal gains amid fierce urban combat with Ukrainian defenders. DPR leader
Denis Pushilin claimed Ukraine was continuously transferring reserves to Marinka.
Capture of Bakhmut and Ukrainian flanking counterattacks (April–May 2023) , 5 April 2023 Fighting inside Bakhmut continued into April and May 2023. Russian forces controlled 95 percent of the city by 18 May, having corralled Ukrainian defenders into a southwestern neighborhood of multi-story residential buildings the Russians referred to as the "nest", where Ukraine had purportedly
concentrated a large number of defending units. As Wagner fighters made gradual gains inside Bakhmut, Ukraine launched counterattacks on the southern and northwestern flanks of the city beginning around 10 May, resulting in Russian units abandoning positions near the Berkhivka reservoir and south of
Ivanivske, on the approach to Klishchiivka. Despite the Ukrainian counterattacks threatening their flanks, Wagner continued to advance inside the city and claimed to have fully captured it on 20 May, adding that they planned to withdraw from the front line and be replaced by regular Russian troops after finishing clearing operations. Ukraine, however, denied that Bakhmut had fallen and claimed their forces were in the process of partially "encircling" the city via their multiple "localized" gains on the environs. By 21 May, Wagner forces had consolidated control over Bakhmut proper and halted their advance, with Ukrainian forces still operating in neighboring localities west and south of the city. The ISW assessed that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from the city itself but were still counterattacking on the outskirts.
2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive & renewed Avdiivka assaults (June–October 2023) village in
Luhansk Oblast, July 2023 railway station in
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, August 2023. Video released by the
Russian Ministry of Defence. against Ukrainian positions on the Bakhmut front, October 2023 In early June 2023, Ukraine launched a
large counteroffensive across the frontlines, including on the flanks of Bakhmut. These attacks focused around areas such as
Andriivka,
Klishchiivka, and
Berkhivka, where Ukrainian forces made "marginal" gains. Ukraine's progress was notably hindered by dense Russian minefields, with the Russians reportedly using rocket systems to deploy mines in areas that Ukrainian troops had previously recaptured and cleared. By July 2023, Russian forces were largely maintaining a defensive posture along the vast majority of the frontline, with the
Luhansk front being one of the few places where they reportedly remained on the offensive. Meanwhile,
internal tensions between the Russian defence ministry and the Wagner Group boiled over when the latter launched a
one-day rebellion against the Russian government on 23 June, which was concluded with mediation by
Belarus. Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin later announced on 19 July that the PMC would no longer fight in Ukraine. Russia reportedly increased its oversight over Wagner forces after Prigozhin and two other Wagner commanders
died in a plane crash on 23 August. Russian war blog
Rybar reported Wagner fighters would return to the Bakhmut axis to help recapture lost positions. On 27 September, the Ukrainian military stated that "a maximum of several hundred" Wagner fighters had returned to Ukraine but dismissed their impact on the battlefield as negligible, describing them as a "remnant" force no longer fighting as a single unit—being instead dispersed throughout regular Russian units. Later, on 27 November, a
Ukrainian Ground Forces spokesman said that "former Wagner Group members" were spotted fighting on the Lyman-Kupiansk front alongside
Storm-Z units. By October 2023, Ukraine was waging an "active defense" on the Bakhmut axis after recapturing Andriivka and Klishchiivka, holding the line while conducting offensive operations to improve tactical positions when possible. However, Ukrainian assaults began slowly culminating on this front by the end of the month. The ISW reported on 27 October that Russian forces were conducting successful counterattacks on Bakhmut's flanks, recapturing positions south of the Berkhivka reservoir that they lost months prior, along with making marginal gains west of
Kurdyumivka, located 13 km southwest of Bakhmut. In turn, Ukrainian troops reportedly pushed the Russians out of several positions east of the Bakhmut-Horlivka railway line in the area of
Andriivka. In early October 2023, as Ukraine's larger counteroffensive nominally continued on other fronts, Russian forces began a localized offensive against
Avdiivka, attempting to
encircle the fortified city. On 30 October 2023, Ukrainian general
Oleksandr Syrskyi stated Russian forces were transferring reserves and "significantly" strengthening its grouping on the Bakhmut front in preparation of a renewed offensive to recapture lost positions along Bakhmut's flanks. Ukrainian military spokesperson Volodymyr Fityo, citing intelligence reports, stated the Russians were preparing since early October 2023 and that Ukrainian troops had been strengthening "defensive positions, engineering fortifications and pulling up reserves" in response. Russian sources, including the Russian defence ministry, said that elements of the
331st Guards Airborne Regiment,
98th and
106th Guards Airborne Division,
200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade,
"Viking" spetsnaz detachment, and the
"Alexander Nevsky" Assault Brigade, were among the personnel operating on the Bakhmut front around this time.
Second Russian winter campaign (November 2023–April 2024) Early winter (November–December 2023) In early November, positional battles south of Bakhmut continued along the Klishchiivka-Andriivka-Kurdiumivka railway line, while Russian sources claimed increased offensive operations on the Berkhivka Reservoir axis further northwest of Bakhmut. On 6 November, Ukrainian and Russian sources reported that Russian troops had made a "marginal" advance south of the Berkhivka Reservoir, though it was unclear at the time if they recaptured the entire reservoir or just the southern shore. On 10 November, Russian sources reported Russian troops had regained lost positions in forestry north of Klishchiivka and a tree line north of Andriivka, pushing Ukrainian forces away from the railway line and the T0513 highway, however Ukrainian mines, drones, and artillery were complicating the advance. In turn, the Ukrainian General Staff reported repelling assaults near
Bohdanivka,
Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka. In mid-November, General Syrskyi confirmed Russian forces had intensified their assaults north and south of Bakhmut in an attempt to regain the initiative and retake lost positions. On 13–14 November, Russian troops—including elements of the
98th Guards Airborne Division's "Storm" Division—advanced west of
Yahidne, advancing along a tree line southwest of
Orikhovo-Vasylivka towards Bohdanivka and securing new positions near the Berkhivka Reservoir in the process. Russian troops reportedly crossed the railway north of Klishchiivka and were consolidating positions, though Ukraine's
93rd Mechanized Brigade claimed artillery had pushed them back across the railway. Yuri Fedorenko, the commander of the drone specialist "Achilles" Company, confirmed the situation in the Bakhmut direction was becoming complicated, crediting Russian troops' constantly shifting tactics and heavy usage of battlefield drones. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff reported repelling numerous assaults north and south of Bakhmut in its daily reports, including towards Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Andriivka, Klishchiivka, and west of
Dubovo-Vasylivka. On 16 November,
Maksym Zhorin, the deputy commander of the
3rd Assault Brigade, accused Russian troops of deploying chemical weapons during clashes near Bakhmut. By 19 November, the Russians were continuing assaults towards
Khromove village, Bohdanivka, and against Klishchiivka, where the Ukrainians continued to hold the tactical heights west of the village. On 29 November, Russia said its forces had taken control of Khromove. By November 2023, both the Russians and Ukrainians were reportedly
using cluster munitions on the eastern front, with the Russian cluster munitions being air-launched and Ukrainian cluster munitions, supplied by the
United States, being fired via artillery. Around 20 November, video emerged online of Russian forces reportedly targeting Ukrainian positions near
Staromaiorske with
RBK-500 cluster munitions fitted with
UMPK glide bomb guidance kits. According to
The War Zone online magazine, the UMPK-fitted RBK-500s are considered highly effective against personnel and soft targets, making them a logical weapon of choice for Russia in eastern Ukraine, where fighting is dominated by trench warfare amid treelines and open terrain. According to a Ukrainian platoon commander on the Bakhmut front, their cluster munitions were becoming increasingly ineffective as the Russians adapted; Russian troops began assaulting positions in smaller units and were digging their trenches deeper and making them harder to strike. Over a month later, on 18 January 2024, the Russian defence ministry claimed Russian troops had captured Vesele. Though located near Soledar, it marked the first settlement captured on the southern approach to the
Siversk-
Bilohorivka axis, a section of the eastern front that remained mostly stagnant throughout 2023. The Russian claims of advances were not independently verified at the time. Russian forces
captured Marinka on 25 December. According to
The New York Times, the capture of the ruined city was further evidence that Russian forces had seized the initiative in the war after Ukraine's largely unsuccessful
summer counteroffensive. The stalled Ukrainian offensive and renewed Russian assaults resulted in Russian forces ultimately seizing more territory in 2023 than they lost.
Avdiivka breakthrough and Ocheretyne salient (January 2024–April 2024) fighting in
Novomykhailivka, February 2024. Video released by the
Russian Ministry of Defence. The Russian offensive on the Bakhmut front continued into January 2024, slowly pushing west towards
Chasiv Yar, with ongoing clashes in and near Bohdanivka, and along the
Ivanivske-Andriivka-Klishchiivka axis. General
Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian forces were using kamikaze drones and
electronic warfare alongside assault groups supported by artillery to break through Ukrainian defenses on the Bakhmut front. On 20 January 2024, Ukrainian spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun stated that Russia was focusing its assault operations in Donetsk on Avdiivka and
Novomykhailivka, adding that Russian ground assaults were mostly composed of infantry, with very limited armored vehicle support. Russian forces had conducted 592 artillery strikes and launched three missile strikes on the Donetsk front in the past 24 hours, according to Shtupun. In late January–early February 2024, Russian forces broke through Ukrainian defences in Avdiivka and began flanking and encircling troops of the embattled
110th Mechanized Brigade, prompting a Ukrainian retreat and resulting in Russian forces capturing the fortified city after months of deadly fighting. The Russians continued to advance west of Avdiivka, reportedly capturing
Lastochkyne,
Stepove and
Sieverne by 27 February. Syrskyi said that the 3rd Assault and
25th Airborne Brigades had pushed Russian troops back from Orlivka on 29 February. Clashes also continued for Novomykhailivka, with Russia claiming to have captured
Pobieda on 22 February, further threatening Novomykhailivka's northern flank and expanding the buffer zone south of Marinka. In February–March 2024, Russian forces continued offensive operations on the Bohdanivka-Chasiv Yar direction, namely along the O0506 highway, north and northeast of Ivanivske, and by attempting to bypass the heights north and northwest of Klishchiivka, according to Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets. On 21–23 February, Russian sources claimed that Russian troops, including elements of the 98th Guards Airborne Division, had entered the eastern outskirts of Ivanivske and advanced to Sadova Street amid fierce clashes. By 3 March, Russian troops had reached central Ivanivske. Ukraine's
Tavria operational-strategic group said defenders were managing to build isolated
ramparts, bunkers and anti-tank ditches amid the fighting. The Russians nevertheless continued their
advance towards Chasiv Yar, reportedly capturing operationally important heights north of the city and Ivanivske respectively. and the
Vodiane-
Pervomaiske front. By 1 March, the Russians had a foothold on the eastern outskirts of
Berdychi, had entered central
Orlivka, and were threatening the northern and eastern flanks of
Tonenke. The Russians later claimed to have captured Orlivka on 19 March and Tonenke on 21 March. On 12 March, the Russian defence ministry claimed the capture of
Nevelske, a village located on the southern flank of Pervomaiske and less than 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of
Krasnohorivka. The Russians claimed to have captured Vodiane on 5 April and reportedly captured Pervomaiske by 10 April. On 14–16 April, Russian forces began expanding Avdiivka's northern flank, capturing the Zarya
dachas and swiftly moving on to establish a foothold in
Ocheretyne, creating a salient. Russian troops
exploited the breach in defenses, capturing Ocheretyne by 28 April. Russian forces expanded the salient by quickly capturing the villages of
Novobakhmutivka by 28 April and
Soloviove by 1 May along Ocheretyne's southern flank. The Russians were concurrently advancing on a second axis northwards, east of the Ocheretyne salient, towards
Novokalynove and
Keramik, which were both likely captured by the end of April. After capturing Ocheretyne and Keramik, the Russians further advanced northwards and captured
Arkhanhelske by 5 May, according to DeepState; Russia later claimed the capture of Arkhanhelske on 25 May. , 30 March 2024 On 25 April, the ISW assessed that although Russia was seeking further "tactical gains" northwest of Avdiivka,
Chasiv Yar remained the primary target of the spring campaign.
Russian general offensive (April 2024–present) Donetsk Oblast Russian media reported on 5 April that their troops had
entered the eastern suburbs of Chasiv Yar.
Ukraine's eastern command denied these reports but admitted the situation on the city's outskirts had become "tense". On 6 April, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi–who succeeded
Valerii Zaluzhnyi as
Ukraine's commander-in-chief on 8 February–stated "Today, the fiercest battles are underway in the areas of Pervomaiske and Vodiane, as well as east of Chasiv Yar, where the enemy is trying to break through our defense lines." On 13 April 2024, Syrskyi stated the situation on the eastern front had "deteriorated significantly" in recent days and that fighting had intensified following the
2024 Russian presidential election. Syrskyi partially attributed recent Russian gains in Donetsk Oblast to their superior weaponry and spoke of the need for training of more Ukrainian infantry units. The same day,
DeepStateMap.Live reported that Russian forces captured
Bohdanivka, which is located less than 6 miles (10 km) east of Chasiv Yar; the Russian defence ministry later confirmed its capture on 21 April. Concurrent with the Chasiv Yar and Krasnohorivka battles, Russian troops also continued their ground advances on other axes in Donetsk into May 2024. Russian troops reportedly entered
Umanske on 9 May 2024. After a local offensive, Russian troops recaptured
Klishchiivka and
Andriivka by 23 May, ending months of positional warfare after Ukraine retook the ruined villages in September 2023. Russia claimed to have captured the village of
Netailove on 27 May 2024,located less than 15 kilometers northwest of Donetsk city's outskirts. Ukraine's General Staff reported "tense" clashes near Netailove, but did not confirm or deny the village's capture. against Ukrainian positions in
Donetsk Oblast, 6 June 2024. Video released by the
Russian Ministry of Defence. After months of clashes following the
fall of Marinka, Russian sources reported the capture of
Heorhiivka around 14 June 2024. The UK defence ministry stated in its 18 June 2024 intelligence update that Russian forces had likely captured
Novooleksandrivka located just over 12 miles west of Avdiivka on the approach to the T-05-04 road. This has been one of the main supply routes for Ukrainian forces on the Donetsk front that links
Pokrovsk,
Kostiantynivka and
Bakhmut. On 18 June 2024, Russia launched a
new offensive towards the city of
Toretsk, and by 21 June had captured a village east of it,
Shumy. Fighting began in the
satellite settlements east of Toretsk of
Pivdenne,
Zalizne,
Druzhba, and
Pivnichne, and by the end of June Russian forces had a foothold in all of these settlements. On 2 July, Russian forces advanced north to reach and advance into southern
Niu-York, a rural settlement south of Toretsk, attempting to capture Toretsk from the east and south. Concurrent with the advances near Toretsk, Russian forces continued to expand the Avdiivka salient after the capture of Novooleksandrivka;
Sokil by 6 July 2024 and by 11 July were both captured, west of Ocheretyne.
Urozhaine, east of
Staromaiorske, was taken around 13 July 2024, and in the direction of
Siversk, Russian forces restarted offensive maneuvers to capture
Spirne and
Ivano-Daryivka around 17 July. On 18 July 2024, Russian forces entered
Prohres, west of Ocheretyne, and captured it on 19 July, another was launched by Russia towards
Kostiantynivka in
Pokrovsk Raion the same day, again taking significant losses, but nevertheless gaining a foothold in the village. In August 2024, Russia continued making significant advances in the direction of Pokrovsk, while expanding their control in the area in and around Toretsk. The Pokrovsk front had become the most active area of the frontline as Russia's main goal in eastern Ukraine by early August. Following Ukraine's
incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in early August 2024, the rate of Russian advance near Pokrovsk increased, where Russian forces at the axis of advance had been bolstered. By mid-August, Russia was reportedly 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk, and continued to advance through settlements east of the city, including in
Hrodivka, a town situated on the last line of defense (a line running through Hrodivka–Novohrodivka–Selydove north to south) ahead of Pokrovsk itself. In late August, Russia entered Toretsk from two axes of advance, entering it from Pivnichne to the east and Zalizne to the south. On 27 August, Russia captured the key city of
Novohrodivka, nine kilometers east of Pokrovsk, in an engagement reportedly lasting only three days. The following day, fighting reportedly began over
Selydove as Russian forces entered the city from the east, capturing parts of the
E50 highway southeast of Pokrovsk in the process. On 27 August 2024 Russia concurrently captured significant portions of the highway running from
Marinka to
Vuhledar, and likely seized in entirety the village of Kostiantynivka intersected by the road. In late August, a
renewed offensive was launched towards Vuhledar. The villages of
Prechystivka and
Vodiane were captured on 3 and 8 September 2024, west and northeast of Vuhledar, while assaults near Vuhledar itself arose. Russian forces encircled the city, hampering the transport of Ukrainian supplies into the city and the ability of defending soldiers to move out of it. The city was captured by Russia on 1 October. (Donetsk Oblast) after Russian drone strike on 30 May 2025 On 9 September 2024, the city of
Krasnohorivka was
captured. On 17 September, Russia
captured the city of
Ukrainsk, southeast of Pokrovsk, after their forces had reportedly entered the city by 6 September 2024. In September, nearby Ukrainsk, fighting began over the settlement
Tsukuryne and the city of
Hirnyk, as Russian forces pressed further towards
Kurakhove. By 10 October, Russia captured the settlement of
Tsukuryne south of Selydove, and
Mykolaivka,
Krasnyi Yar, next to
Myrnohrad. Russia captured the cities of
Selydove and Hirnyk in late October. East of Kurakhove, Russian forces took full control over
Maksymilianivka in mid-October 2024, as well as the settlement of
Ostrivske at the Kurakhove reservoir. After the village's capture,
fighting over Kurakhove began. Russian forces seized the mining settlement of
Kurakhivka and advanced into Kurakhove proper in late October. After the capture of Vuhledar, Russian forces exploited the city's fall to make significant advances north and northwest of it; the settlements of
Bohoiavlenka,
Novoukrainka, , , and were captured in late October to early November 2024. In late December 2024, Russian forces captured Kurakhove after two months of fighting. The
Kurakhove Power Station was confirmed to have come under Russian control in early January 2025. In late January, Russian forces
captured the fortified settlement Velyka Novosilka.
Northern Kharkiv Oblast , 2 June 2024 On 10 May 2024, as Russian forces continued their gradual advances in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, they launched a new offensive in Ukraine's
Kharkiv Oblast, using shelling, air strikes and dismounted infantry to breach defenses in the
Vovchansk and
Kharkiv directions. On 17 May, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the new offensive "expanded the zone of active hostilities by almost 70 kilometers." Early speculation Regarding the purpose of the operation ranged from it being an intent to capture Kharkiv to it serving as a feint to stretch Ukrainian defense lines, forcing them to shift reserves away from other fronts, particularly the Donbas front. On 17 May, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was aiming to create a "buffer zone" in Kharkiv Oblast to prevent further attacks on
Belgorod while denying that there were plans to capture Kharkiv city. Earlier that same week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated the Russian advance was stopped at the first line of defense, while Ukrainian intelligence chief
Kyrylo Budanov reportedly warned that Russia may launch a new ground incursion into
Sumy Oblast. By 23 May, Russian troops had become "completely bogged down" amid urban combat in Vovchansk, according to Syrskyi. On 27 May 2024, Russia announced the capture of the village of Ivanivka in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, located around 20 kilometers east of
Kupiansk. On 20 July 2024, Russia was confirmed to have recaptured
Pishchane in eastern Kharkiv Oblast. On 29 August 2024, footage showed that Russia had made advances in central Synkivka, with some sources saying the village had been captured. On 30 August, Russia seized the village of
Stelmakhivka. By 6 September 2024, Russian forces had completely seized Synkivka. Further advances south in the ensuing week were made into northern
Petropavlivka. By 10 October 2024, Russian forces captured
Myasozharivka. == Order of battle ==