Battle of Sviatohirsk
Part of the eastern Ukraine offensive's battle of Donbas in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Russian weaponry destroyed following the Ukrainian recapture of Sviatohirsk
Russian weaponry destroyed following the Ukrainian recapture of Sviatohirsk
Date30 May – 8 June 2022
(1 week and 2 days first battle)
10 September – 12 September 2022
(2 days; second battle)
Location
Sviatohirsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Status

Russian victory (first battle)[1]
Ukrainian victory (second battle)

  • Russian forces captured the town by June 8
  • Ukrainian forces recapture the town by September 12
Belligerents
  Ukraine
Units involved

 Russian Armed Forces

 Ukrainian Armed Forces

Territorial Defense Forces

Sich Battalion
Casualties and losses
Unknown Russian claim:
300+ killed[5]

The battle of Sviatohirsk was a military engagement near the city of Sviatohirsk between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the battle for Donbas in 2022.

Background

Some Russian attacks on Izium started taking place from 28 February 2022, with continued rocket strikes by the Russian military starting on 3 March. Eight civilians were killed on 3 March, with the town's central hospital reportedly sustaining significant damage.[6] On 1 April, the Ukrainian military confirmed Izium was under Russian control.[7][8][9] The following day, in an interview for Ukrinform, Izium's Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Matsokin claimed that 80% of the city's residential buildings had been destroyed and that there was no power, heating, or water in the city. Kreminna was the first city to fall during the Donbas Offensive that was announced by Russia on 18 April. The Governor of Luhansk Oblast, Serhiy Haidai, reported that 200 civilians were killed, but there could have been more. Ukrainian officials reported on 25 April that Russian forces were killed in an explosion in the Kreminna City Hall by a gas explosion.[10] Russian forces control the city. Fighting continued throughout the night, with heavy artillery fire being shot around the streets. Russian forces later captured the city hall on the 19 April. That evening, Haidai reported that the remaining Ukrainian troops withdrew, giving Russian troops full control of the city.[11] By 27 May, most of the city of Lyman came under Russian control.[12]

Battles

On 30 May 2022, as a result of shelling of the town of Sviatohirsk, the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra was damaged, two monks of this monastery and a nun were killed, three monks were injured.[13] On the evening of 30 May, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a much more massive ground attack with fierce artillery strikes on the city. During the day on 31 May, the infantry troops of the Russian Federation launched an assault on Sviatohirsk with the aim of encircling the entire city and forming a cauldron.[13]

On 4 June, a large-scale fire broke out in the grounds of the Holy Dormition Lavra, and the flames engulfed the main shrine of the monastery; the Ukrainians blamed Russian forces for starting the fire.[14]

Bridge between Sviatohirsk and Lavra, destroyed in June 2022[15]

During 3-4 June, the strikes became more intense. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced on 6 June that it had taken full control over the city of Sviatohirsk and Sviatohirsk Lavra.[16] On 8 June, the ISW confirmed that Russian forces had advanced to the city, but acknowledged it was unclear if their forces have entirely seized Sviatohirsk.[17] On 9 June, Ukrainian media claimed that Russian forces had captured a part of the city and that another western section was still in Ukrainian control.[18] However, later reports confirmed the town had been seized by the Russian military.[1]

Aftermath

On 10 September, shortly after the recapture of Izium by Ukrainian troops, Russian sources reported that an attack was being conducted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the town of Svyatohirsk. On the 12th, the Ukrainian National Guard reported that they had recaptured the town.[19]

According Security Service of Ukraine, a place of illegal detention of people was found near the Sviatohirsk Lavra, with items indicating signs of torture.[20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Russia's war in Ukraine | Mayor of captured Ukrainian town switches sides". CNN. 14 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cooper, Tom (29 May 2022). "Ukraine War, 26–29 May 2022". Medium. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Ukraine resists Russia's invasion. Day 23: Russian troops not able to advance, more terror against civilians, Russia to brandish nuclear weapons". 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Exhausted Ukrainian soldiers return from eastern front". France 24. 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  5. ↑ Ukraine suffering "significant losses" in Donbas, says Russian military
  6. ↑ "Ukraine: Beleaguered town of Izium at breaking point after constant attack from Russian forces - new testimony". Amnesty International. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 1 | Institute for the Study of War". understandingwar.org. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  8. ↑ Свобода, Радіо (April 2022). "На Київщині ЗСУ звільнили 15 населених пунктів – зведення Генерального штабу". Радіо Свобода. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  9. ↑ "The russians are controlling Izyum – General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces". mil.in.ua. Archived from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  10. ↑ "Luhansk Military Administration: Russian occupiers and their collaborators die in an explosion in Kreminna City Hall". Pravda.com.ua. 2022-04-25. Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  11. ↑ Lock, Samantha; Anguiano, Dani; Luscombe, Richard; Chao-Fong, Léonie; Belam, Martin (20 April 2022). "Russian forces seize Kreminna in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region - as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  12. ↑ "Russia captures strategically important town ahead of 'next stage' of Ukraine invasion: UK intelligence". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  13. 1 2 "The monks of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the UOC were killed and wounded while the bombing". Raskolam.net. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  14. ↑ Balevic, Katie. "A temple in Ukraine's Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery is on fire after Russian attack, Zelenskyy adviser says". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  15. ↑ "В Святогірську підірвали міст через Сіверський Донець (ВІДЕО)". Вільне радіо. 2022-06-07.
  16. ↑ "Russia urges Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their weapons". Archived from the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  17. ↑ "Institute for the Study of War". RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JUNE 8. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  18. ↑ "Частина Святогірська під окупацією, ДБР розслідує можливу держзраду мера - чим це загрожує" (in Ukrainian). 9 June 2022.
  19. ↑ "Ukraine's National Guard confirms recapture of Sviatohirsk". Ukrinform. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "SBU finds another rashist torture chamber near one of the largest shrines in the Donetsk region". Religious Information Service of Ukraine. Institute of Religion and Society of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Retrieved 15 October 2022.

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