Battle of Kupiansk

Last updated

Battle of Kupiansk
Part of the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Kupiansk after Russian occupation (2022-10-07) 04.jpg
Russian casualties and damaged equipment in the aftermath of the battle
Date8–16 September 2022
(1 week and 1 day)
Location
Kupiansk, Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine
Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Russia.svg Roman Berdnikov [1]
Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Lapin 		Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Syrskyi [2]
Flag of Ukraine.svg Andriy Nikolaychuk  † [3]
Units involved

Banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (obverse).svg  Russian Armed Forces

Flag of National Guard of the Russian Federation.svg Rosgvardiya

Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg  Ukrainian Armed Forces

Flag of the Security Service of Ukraine.svg Security Service of Ukraine

Ensign of the National Guard of Ukraine.svg National Guard of Ukraine [8]
Casualties and losses
Ukrainian claim:
130+ killed,
16 captured [9] [4] 		Unknown

The battle of Kupiansk was a part of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive that began on 8 September 2022 and ended on 16 September 2022. A Financial Times article on 28 September depicted the battle and the Ukrainian advance preceding it as "The 90km journey that changed the course of the war in Ukraine." [10]

Contents

Background

Kupiansk was occupied by Russian forces from 27 February 2022 to 10 September 2022. [11] Although the Ukrainian army had destroyed a railway bridge to slow the Russian advance three days earlier, Kupiansk Mayor Hennadiy Matsehora, member of the Opposition Platform — For Life party, surrendered the city to the Russian Army in exchange for a cessation of hostilities, as the Russians threatened to take the city by force. As a result, the Ukrainian government indicted Matsehora for treason the next day. [12] On 28 February 2022, Matsehora was arrested by Ukrainian authorities. [13] Later Kupiansk became the de facto seat of the Russian-backed Kharkiv military-civilian administration [ citation needed ] and an important logistical supply route. [14]

Battle

Prior to the battle, the Ukrainian general staff claimed an attack on a Russian military base in Kupiansk on 5 September killed 100 Russian soldiers. [9]

On 8 September 2022, following a large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive capturing over 20 settlements in just days, Russian occupation authorities in the city claimed that Russian forces began to defend Kupiansk. [15] [9] [16] Ukrainian soldiers of the Kraken Regiment entered the outskirts of Kupiansk on 9 September, recapturing the city council building by the next morning. [17] Fighting damaged much of the town's center. Later that day, Ukrainian officials announced that Kupiansk had been liberated. [18]

Maxim Gubin, the pro-Russian mayoral replacement for Matsehora, had fled to Russia following Ukraine retaking Kupiansk.[ citation needed ]

Russian forces evacuated to the eastern side of the Oskil River, in the town of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, and blew the connecting bridge to the town while retreating. [19] During the battle for the adjacent city, Russian forces bombed the local meat factory of Kupiansk, killing around a thousand pigs. [4] Ukrainian forces recaptured the settlement on 16 September. [19] In the immediate aftermath of the battle, the bodies of Russian soldiers were strewn around both Kupiansk and Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi. [4]

Aftermath

Following the Ukrainian liberation of the towns, Russian forces continued to shell Kupiansk. [20] The first strikes against the town were on 13 September, which killed two civilians. [21] The next day, one person was wounded from airstrikes. [22] On 18 September, five people were injured from shelling in Kupiansk. [23] Two days later, two civilians were killed and five injured after Russian shelling on the city. [24] On 22 September, a woman and two children were injured by shelling. [25] On 27 September, five civilians were injured after a Russian strike on a church in Kupiansk. [26]

On 3 October, Russian shelling of a hospital in Kupiansk killed a doctor and injured a nurse. [27] One woman was injured on 5 October by an airstrike. [28]

On 26 September, Russian forces shelled a convoy of civilians escaping the villages of Kurylivka and Pishchane, near Kupiansk, killing 26 civilians. Signs of torture were discovered in Russian administration centers throughout the city. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Kupiansk or Kupyansk is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kupiansk Raion. It is also an important railroad junction for the oblast. Kupiansk hosts the administration of Kupiansk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of 26,627.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shevchenkove, Shevchenkove settlement hromada, Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast</span> Rural locality in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine

Shevchenkove is a rural settlement in Ukraine in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast. It hosts the administration of Shevchenkove settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 6,627.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kharkiv (2022)</span> A 2022 battle of the Russo-Ukrainian War

The battle of Kharkiv was a military engagement that took place from February to May 2022 in and around the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine, as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kharkiv, located just 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the Russia–Ukraine border and a predominately Russian-speaking city, is the second-largest city in Ukraine and was considered a major target for the Russian military early in the invasion. According to the testimony of a captured Russian officer, Russian forces were expected to capture the city within three days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Ukraine campaign</span> Ongoing military offensive in Ukraine

Ukraine's easternmost oblasts, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv, are the site of a theatre of operation in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Izium</span> Battle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Izium was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine that occurred as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The battle started in March 2022 for control of the town of Izium due to the town's importance as a transportation node. The Russian military wanted to capture Izium so its forces in Kharkiv Oblast could link up with their troops in the Donbas region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian occupation of Kharkiv Oblast</span> Military occupation by Russia

The Russian occupation of Kharkiv Oblast, officially the Kharkov Military–Civilian Administration, is an ongoing military occupation that began on 24 February 2022, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and began capturing and occupying parts of Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Russian forces failed to capture the capital city of the oblast, Kharkiv. However, other major cities including Izium, Kupiansk, and Balakliia were captured by Russian forces. As of November 2022, Russian forces only occupy a small portion of land in the Kharkiv Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Huliaipole</span> Ongoing battle of the Russo-Ukrainian War

The battle of Huliaipole is an ongoing military conflict between the Armed Forces of Russia and the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the city of Huliaipole, in central Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive</span> Battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive was a major counteroffensive operation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on 6 September 2022. Following the launch of the Kherson counteroffensive in southern Ukraine in late August, Ukrainian forces began a second counteroffensive in early September in Kharkiv Oblast, in Eastern Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Balakliia</span> Battle in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle of Balakliia was part of the Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive that began on September 6, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second battle of Lyman</span> September to October 2022 battle in Ukraine

The second battle of Lyman was a military engagement during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. The battle started on 10 September 2022 during the counteroffensive and ended three weeks later on 2 October. By 30 September, Ukrainian forces had closed in on the city after crossing the Siverskyi Donets River, advancing along Lyman's southern and eastern flanks while capturing land northwest of the settlement, allowing Ukrainian forces to cut off the only road left supplying the occupying forces from the north. On 1 October, Ukrainian forces entered Lyman after a Russian withdrawal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudchany</span> Village in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine

Dudchany is a village located in Beryslav Raion, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. It is located in the northwest of the oblast on the right bank of the Dnieper. The village had a pre-war population of 2,043 according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, and was known for its watermelon growing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhansk Oblast campaign</span> Military campaign within the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022

Since 19 September 2022, a military campaign has taken place along a 60-km frontline in western parts of Luhansk Oblast and far-eastern parts of Kharkiv Oblast amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also known as the Svatove–Kreminna line or the Kupiansk–Svatove–Kreminna–Bilohorivka line after the major settlements along the front, the campaign began a day after the Ukrainian Army recaptured the nearby city of Lyman during the Kharkiv counteroffensive after of which the front line froze over the next few months.

Tavilzhanka is a village in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It belongs to Dvorichna settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village was occupied by Russian troops during their initial advance into the nation. After the success of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, the village has become contested territory on the frontline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kupiansk civilian convoy shelling</span> Killing of civilians in Kupiansk

The Kupiansk civilian convoy shelling was the killing of Ukrainian civilians carried out by the Russian Army on September 25, 2022, on the Kurylivka-Pishchane highway near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. 26 civilians were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Russo-Ukrainian War</span> Outline of the war between Russia and Ukraine since 2014

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Russo-Ukrainian War:

Stelmakhivka is a village in Kolomyichykha rural hromada, Svatove Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It had a population of 505 in 2001, however little to no people remain nowadays. The body of local self-government is Stelmakhiv village council.

Masiutivka is a village in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. During the Russian invasion in 2022, the village was captured early in the war by Russian forces, but was regained by Ukrainian forces likely sometime in early November. On 15 May 2023, a renewed local Russian offensive recaptured the village. Russian forces have maintained control of the village since then, and as of mid-July, have used area surrounding the village as a grouping point to stage attacks with the intent to cross the Oskil.

Hroza is a village in the Kupiansk Raion of Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine. It belongs to Shevchenkove settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine, and is just outside the town of Shevchenkove. It is 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of Kupiansk and 79 kilometres (49 mi) southeast by east (SEbE) of the centre of Kharkiv city.

Synkivka is a village in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. During the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village was captured by Russian forces in their initial advance into the nation. After the successful 2022 Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive in September, however, the village returned to Ukrainian control.

Lyman Pershyi is a village in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. During the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village was captured by Russian forces in their initial advance into the nation. The village for a short time returned to Ukrainian control after their successful 2022 Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive in September, but a localized Russian offensive recaptured the village on 16 February 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "Командувача військ західного округу РФ Берднікова зняли з посади після успішного наступу ЗСУ на Харківщині". Цензор.НЕТ (in Ukrainian). 11 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Ministry of Defence of Ukraine [@DefenceU] (10 September 2022). "[...] The Commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, Hero of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi is leading the Ukrainian offensive in this sector. [...]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022– via Twitter.
  3. ↑ "Залишилася дружина та маленькі діти: вшануймо хвилиною мовчання військовослужбовця Андрія Ніколайчука". 19 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Järvenkylä, Nina (16 November 2022). "IL Ukrainassa: Kraken-yksikkö työnsi venäläiset ulos Kupianskista – taisteluissa kaduilla juoksi sikoja ja venäläiset pakenivat metsään". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  5. ↑ Gerashchenko, Anton [@Gerashchenko_en] (11 September 2022). "Warriors of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade found an army electrician's "Manual for taking over the world" in Russian positions near Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast. All the notes were made by hand. Straightaway we can see the power of the Russian army. https://t.co/Py9vKuR6NI" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 December 2022– via Twitter.
  6. ↑ Balachuk, Iryna (10 September 2022). "Occupiers say they have left Izium and other settlements, while Ukrainian troops show a video: We are in Izium". Ukrainska Pravda . Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Cole, Brendan (10 September 2022). "Ukrainian forces capture key town as counteroffensive gathers pace: Kyiv". Newsweek . Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Ukrainian serviceman on liberated Kupiansk: Collaborators in basements, children taken to Russia". Ukrinform. 2 October 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Mazurenko, Alona (5 September 2022). "Armed Forces of Ukraine advance on Kramatorsk front, killing up to 100 occupiers near Kupiansk General Staff". Ukrainska Pravda . Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "The 90km journey that changed the course of the war in Ukraine". Financial Times(FT). 28 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "In Kharkiv region, mayor admits to handing over city to occupiers". Pravda. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Mayor of Kupiansk who surrendered his city to invaders indicted for treason". Ukrayinska Pravda. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Мера Куп'янська, який здав місто окупантам, затримано – джерело" [Mayor of Kupyansk, who surrendered the city to the occupiers, has been detained – source]. LIGA (in Ukrainian). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Goodhind, William (2023). "Contested Ground, Report 7: Russian Military Convoys, Occupied-Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, 5 and 31 May 2022". rgdoi.net. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.22703.10407/1.
  15. ↑ "Occupation authorities in Kupiansk say that Russian army began to defend the city, and additional reinforcement entered the region from Russia Kupyansk, Kharkiv - Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com". Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Representative of General staff of Armed forces of Ukraine says over 20 settlements were liberated in Kharkiv region, in some areas penetration in Russian defense positions up to 50 kms Kharkiv - Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com". Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Hunder, Max; Hnidyi, Vitalii (10 September 2022). "Russia gives up key northeast towns as Ukrainian forces advance". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  18. ↑ "Ukraine's daring counteroffensive, war reparations, and negotiations – an interview with Mykhailo Podolyak". news.yahoo.com. 11 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  20. ↑ Loveluck, Louisa; Korolchuk, Serhii; Grzedzinski, Wojciech (15 October 2022). "In Kupiansk, in northeast Ukraine, liberation came at a steep cost". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "Three civilians killed in Russia's shelling of Kharkiv region". Ukrinform. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  22. ↑ "Three wounded in enemy attacks on liberated territories of Kharkiv region". Ukrinform. 14 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  23. ↑ "Russian forces shell civilian car in Kharkiv region, killing two women". Ukrinform. 18 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Two civilians killed, nine more injured in enemy shelling of Kharkiv region". Ukrinform. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "Russian troops again shell liberated Kupiansk, injuring woman and two children". Ukrinform. 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Missile strike on Kupiansk: President's Office shows consequences of attack". Ukrinform. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  27. ↑ "Zelensky: invaders shell hospital in Kupyansk, killing doctor, injuring nurse". Ukrinform. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Three civilians injured in enemy shelling of Kharkiv region". Ukrinform. 5 October 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  29. ↑ Gallón, Natalie; Walsh, Nick Paton; Gak, Kostyantin; Lâiné, Brice (19 September 2022). "Liberation has finally come to Ukraine's Kharkiv. But scars of Russia's brutal occupation remain". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.