Feb. 24, 2022
Combating continued throughout Ukraine on Thursday as Russian troops superior into the nation from the northeastern border, the east and the south. Because the solar set within the nation, particular forces and airborne troops had been closing in on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Ukrainian officers mentioned in a press release that some civilian targets had come underneath hearth and that Russian forces had seized the previous nuclear energy plant at Chernobyl.
Not less than 137 Ukrainian troopers and civilians had been killed, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned. Russia misplaced two helicopters and 7 plane in fight, officers mentioned.
The bottom invasion adopted heavy shelling and airstrikes that started simply earlier than daybreak native time. These assaults had focused cities, airports and army infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned that it had disabled Ukraine’s air defenses and air bases and that Russian forces had destroyed greater than 70 army targets, together with 11 airfields, a helicopter and 4 drones.
Feb. 24, 2022
Russia carries out a large-scale invasion of Ukraine
On the primary day of the primary main land battle in Europe in many years, the Russian army plunged into Ukraine by land, sea and air. Russia shelled greater than a dozen cities and cities, together with exterior the capital, Kyiv. Russian troops moved throughout the Ukrainian border in a number of waves, touchdown within the port metropolis of Odessa within the south and crossing the japanese border into Kharkiv, the second-largest metropolis.
Russian troops crossed the border transferring towards Kyiv, the capital.
Claimed by
separatists, held
by Ukraine
Russian troops landed within the port metropolis of Odessa.
Russian troops crossed the border transferring towards Kyiv, the capital.
Claimed by
separatists, held
by Ukraine
Russian troops landed within the port metropolis of Odessa.
Russian troops crossed the border transferring towards Kyiv, the capital.
Claimed by
separatists, held
by Ukraine
Russian troops landed within the port metropolis of Odessa.
Sources: New York Occasions reporting; Ukrainian officers | Information as of 1:30 p.m., Feb. 24.
The New York Occasions
Troops moved into an space north of Kyiv, advancing on Chernihiv, about 80 miles from the capital. And so they touched off a pitched battle on the extremely radioactive Chernobyl exclusion zone that risked damaging the concrete-encased nuclear reactor that melted down in 1986. By sundown, Russian particular forces and airborne troops had seized the Chernobyl web site and had been pushing into the outskirts of Kyiv.
A number of the most intense preventing was exterior of Kharkiv within the northeast, in response to a senior U.S. Protection Division official. A video steered that not less than one residential constructing within the space was destroyed.
And a satellite tv for pc photograph taken by Planet Labs on Thursday morning confirmed a hearth and black smoke rising from the Chuhuiv Air Base exterior of Kharkiv.
Chuhuiv air base, exterior of Kharkiv.
Supply: Planet Labs
Russian forces to date have been hanging Ukrainian army installations and air-defense targets, utilizing greater than 100 medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, the protection official mentioned. Russia has additionally used sea-launched missiles from warships within the Black Sea.
Satellite tv for pc photographs taken earlier than the offensive started present a few of the places hit by airstrikes.
Kharkiv
Chuhuiv residential constructing
Zaporizhzhia
Melitopol airfield
Zhytomyr
Ozerne airfield
Chernihiv
Nizhyn airfield
Volyn
Lutsk airfield
Khmelnytskyi
Khmelnytskyi airport
Donetsk
Kramatorsk airport
Kyiv
Hostomel airport
Khmelnytskyi
Starokostiantyniv army unit
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk army unit
Sources: Ukrainian officers; New York Occasions reporting; Google Earth (satellite tv for pc photographs)
Within the south, not less than 18 Ukrainian army officers had been killed in an assault exterior Odessa, the place amphibious commandos from the Russian Navy got here ashore on Thursday, in response to Sergey Nazarov, an aide to Odessa’s mayor. Within the east, Russian-backed separatists fought Ukrainian troops alongside the entrance line that has divided the rebels and Ukrainian forces since 2014.
The Russian army additionally moved north from Crimea, headed within the route of Kherson.
Footage captured by safety cameras at a border crossing Thursday morning confirmed Russian army autos getting into from Crimea.
The Russian assaults started simply minutes after President Vladimir V. Putin delivered a speech declaring the start of a army operation in Ukraine, and because the United Nations Safety Council met in New York.
Keith Collins, Lazaro Gamio, Josh Holder, Scott Reinhard, Allison McCann, Agnes Chang, Pablo Robles and Marco Hernandez
Feb. 22, 2022
How Russian troops closed in on Ukraine
Since October, Russia has been constructing an infinite army pressure alongside Ukraine’s border, with as many as 190,000 troops in or close to Ukraine, in response to American and Ukrainian officers. The Russian troop presence has grown in latest weeks from scattered groupings parked at army bases and coaching grounds to battle-ready items arrayed in tactical formations. They seem ready to assault Ukraine from three instructions, in response to army analysts: the north, east and south.
Right here’s the place Russia has added forces through the present buildup:
Supply: Troop positions from Rochan Consulting
Word: Troops in japanese Ukraine and Transnistria embrace Russian-backed separatists.
In latest weeks, Russia has deployed the ultimate parts wanted to conduct a large-scale army operation in opposition to Ukraine. The pressure contains fighter plane and assault helicopters, together with elite paratrooper items and particular forces troops that might usually function the tip of the spear in any invasion plans, army specialists say.
Troops deployed to the north in Belarus may shortly attain the capital, Kyiv, and Russian Naval forces within the Black Sea may menace Ukraine’s southern coast. Most army analysts and officers consider that any assault will start with a heavy incursion into Ukraine’s east, within the neighborhood of two breakaway territories that Russia has lengthy provided with troops and arms.
1
Previous to present buildup: Russia has quite a few army bases close to its border with Ukraine and added a number of installations inside Crimea after 2014, when it annexed the territory. Russian troops are additionally stationed in Transnistria, a Russian-backed breakaway area of Moldova.
2
December 2021: Towards the tip of final yr, Russia started transferring troops, tanks and heavy artillery into new positions throughout the nation. A lot of that buildup centered on two breakaway provinces in japanese Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, the place the Ukrainian army has been at battle with Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
3
January: Russia began transferring tools and troops into Belarus, a detailed ally, in preparation for joint army drills. Russian forces in Belarus would possibly enable Russia to open a brand new entrance on Ukraine’s northern border, nearer to the capital, Kyiv.
4
February: Russian officers introduced a partial withdrawal of troops, although U.S. officers disputed this declare and mentioned Russia had elevated its presence as a substitute. Units from the Central and Japanese Navy Districts, that are a few of Russia’s most superior, stay deployed.
Josh Holder, Allison McCann, Scott Reinhard and Michael Schwirtz
Feb. 21, 2022
Donetsk and Luhansk: breakaway areas on the heart of the battle
President Vladimir V. Putin acknowledged the independence of two territories in japanese Ukraine, Luhansk and Donetsk, which might be largely managed by Russian-backed separatists. Shortly after, Russian troops had been ordered into the world, a transfer that threatens to sharply escalate the battle with Ukraine and might be a prelude to a broader invasion.
Claimed by separatists,
held by Ukraine
Held by
Russian-backed
separatists
Claimed by
separatists,
held by Ukraine
Held by
Russian-backed
separatists
Claimed by separatists,
held by Ukraine
Held by
Russian-backed
separatists
The New York Occasions
The separatist enclaves declare all of Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk and Luhansk areas as their territory, however they management solely about one-third of the world. It was not instantly clear whether or not Mr. Putin would acknowledge the enclaves of their de facto borders or would search to develop them by pressure.
Ukraine and the remainder of the world view the enclaves as Ukrainian territory. The Russian-backed separatists within the area have been embroiled in a long-running battle with Ukrainian forces.
See our full story on the 2 areas which may spark battle.
Feb. 19, 2022
Shelling intensifies in Japanese Ukraine
Over the previous a number of days, artillery barrages continued to focus on areas in east Ukraine. Shelling focused the area across the city of Svitlodarsk — an space that features key infrastructure resembling a consuming water provide community and one in all Europe’s largest fertilizer factories.
Russian army positions
Russia-Belarus
mock battle
Russia-Belarus
mock battle
Russia-Belarus
mock battle
Supply: Russian positions from Rochan Consulting as of Feb. 16.
The New York Occasions
And at a army coaching floor in Baranovichi, Belarus, Russian and Belarusian forces performed a mock battle in a joint train. The ten-day joint army workout routines are scheduled to finish on Sunday.
Feb. 19, 2022
The place Russia’s army is positioned round Ukraine
Russia strengthened its army presence round Ukraine in January and February, with new deployments of troops and army tools in a number of places, together with Crimea, Belarus and close to Japanese Ukraine, furthering fears of an imminent invasion.
Russian army positions as of Feb. 16
Supply: Russian positions from Rochan Consulting
The New York Occasions
Troops, tanks and heavy artillery have moved into positions that threaten to widen the battle in Ukraine’s east and doubtlessly open a brand new entrance on Ukraine’s northern border, nearer to its capital, Kyiv. It offers a snapshot of present Russian positions. It’s based mostly on info obtained by Ukrainian and Western officers in addition to impartial army analysts and satellite tv for pc imagery.
Feb. 15, 2022
Europe’s reliance on Russian fuel might be reshaped
Europe depends on Russia’s pure fuel to assist warmth hundreds of thousands of properties, generate electrical energy and energy factories. With Russian troops massed alongside Ukraine’s border, the continent’s heavy dependence on Russia is limiting its diplomatic choices and threatening to throw its power provides into turmoil.
Imports of fuel from Russia to E.U. international locations
Share of nation’s pure fuel imports from Russia, 2020
Arrow width proportional
to nation’s whole fuel imports
from Russia.
Arrow width proportional to
nation’s whole fuel imports
from Russia.
Arrow width proportional to nation’s
whole fuel imports from Russia
Supply: EuroStat and the British Division for Enterprise, Vitality & Industrial Technique
Word: Austria didn’t report the supply of its pure fuel imports in 2020. Information contains each piped and liquefied pure fuel.
If the stream of fuel is interrupted, both as collateral harm from warfare or as a negotiating tactic by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, specialists fear that already excessive costs in a always shifting world market may skyrocket. Companies could also be pressured to shut quickly, and if cutoffs persist, households already dealing with greater utility payments this winter may really feel much more ache.
See our full story on Europe’s reliance on Russian fuel.
Notes on disputed areas proven on the maps
Crimea was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014. The motion was broadly condemned underneath worldwide legislation, and the territory stays disputed.
Japanese Ukraine has been in battle since 2014 with preventing between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed separatists. The dotted line within the japanese area of Ukraine exhibits the approximate dividing line between the 2 sides.
Transnistria, a Russian-backed breakaway area, lies on the japanese fringe of Moldova.
