As a component of the offensive against Kyiv (2022) and 2022 The invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Bucharest. 10.jpg
Bucha after the conflict was over.
Dates: February 27th through March 12th, 2022 (First phase)
29–31 March 2022 (Second phase)
Location Bucha, which is inside the Kyiv Oblast in Ukraine
The first phase begins on March 12, 2022, when Russian forces conquer the city.
Second phase: On March 31, 2022, Russian soldiers are scheduled to withdraw from the city, at which point Ukrainian forces are scheduled to restore control.
[5]
Belligerents Russia Ukraine
Gennady Bayur, one of the commanders and leaders [6]
Azatbek Omurbekov[7] Ukraine Anatoliy Fedoruk [8]
Participating units of the Russian Armed Forces
The 76th Guards Air Assault Division and the 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment are both part of the Russian Airborne Forces.
[6] 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment (Guards Air Assault)
[6] 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment (56th Guards AAR)
the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade of the Russian Ground Forces' 35th Combined Arms Army [6].
National Guard of Russia's Combined Arms 36th Infantry Division [9]
141st Motorized Regiment (also known as the "Kadyrovites") of the SOBR OMON Ukrainian Armed Forces
Ground Fighting Forces of Ukraine
Air Force of the Ukraine
Irregular civilian volunteers (militia and guerillas)
[10]
Casualties and losses have occurred.
at least one hundred different pieces of military hardware [11]
Unknown
Per Ukraine: 458 civilians killed[12]
According to the United Nations, there have been 50 people killed[13].
2022: The beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Control of the city of Bucha was at stake in the battle of Bucha, which was fought as part of the Kyiv offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Elements of the Russian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Ground Forces participated in the conflict as fighters. The conflict began on February 27, 2022, and continued until March 31, 2022. It was won by Russian forces when they withdrew from the battlefield. This engagement was a sub-part of a wider strategy to encircle Kyiv, which is the capital and largest city of Ukraine. [14] [15]
The Ukrainian armed forces put up a fight against the Russian assault in the western suburbs of the capital city, including Irpin, Bucha, and Hostomel.
[14]
[15] According to the Kyiv Oblast State Administration, Bucha was one of the localities that they identified as being among the most dangerous places in the Kyiv Oblast.
[16] Following the withdrawal of Russian forces from Bucha, reports of hitherto unknown crimes committed by members of the Russian military came to the notice of the international community.
Contents \s1 Prelude \s2 Battle
2.1 The beginning of the fighting
2.1.1 The month of February 2.1.2 The month of March 2.2 Control held by Russia
2.3 Ukraine regains power
3 Mass killings in Bucha
4 References
Prelude
Main article: Combat at Antonov Airport (Battle of)
After gaining a foothold in the town of Ivankiv and largely breaking through the Ukrainian defenses at Ivankiv, Russian forces pushed on the suburb of Hostomel and its airport on February 25 from the northwest. They were successful in taking the airport and gaining a foothold in the town. Despite the fact that Ukrainian opposition was still active in Hostomel, Russian forces proceeded to march south with the objective of capturing the surrounding cities of Irpin and Bucha in order to encircle Kyiv. [14] [15] Later on same day, Russian forces were observed plundering an apartment complex in the vicinity of Bucha. [17] [18]
Combat The beginning of the conflict
February
On February 27th, Russian ground forces moved closer and closer to Bucharest.
[19]
[20] The Russian force included reserves from the 36th Combined Arms Army, which included paratroopers, tanks, military engineering units, and other types of military vehicles.
[15] The Russian force also included members of the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) and the Special Purpose Mobile Unit (OMON), both of which are subordinated to the National Guard of Russia and function as specialized police groups. [21] The city was pounded by Russian artillery, which caused damage to a number of structures and the infrastructure. As a result of the shelling, some households lost access to essential services including as water, gas, and electricity. [19] [20]
A portion of the Russian army was successful in penetrating the Bucha fortifications and made their way toward the neighboring city of Irpin.
[15]
[22] It was noted that a Russian armored unit attacked a memorial commemorating the War in Afghanistan that was located in Bucha; the memorial is in the shape of an armored personnel carrier.
[23]
[24] A journalist from Ukraine named Andriy Tsaplienko later reported that Russian forces opened fire on a civilian vehicle, resulting in the death of one guy and the injury of another.
[25]
Bucharest's Vokzalna Street was home to a destroyed Russian column.
A Russian missile struck an industrial building in the village of Chaiky, which is located close to Bucha, and it housed spray foam.
The Russian advances towards Bucha were stopped by Ukrainian forces who utilized rocket and artillery bombardments in conjunction with airstrikes.
[26] According to the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, Ukrainian artillery had shelled a convoy of Russian armored vehicles. The Ukrainian government claims that over one hundred pieces of Russian equipment were destroyed as a result of the attack.
[27]
[28] A member of the OMON was one of the people who lost their lives when Ukrainian forces demolished a bridge that connected Bucha and Irpin. This prevented Russian forces from moving into Irpin. [21] [25]
A Ukrainian official by the name of Oleksiy Arestovych asserted that some locals of Bucha began battling Russian forces by throwing Molotov cocktails at Russian vehicles and soldiers. He said this occurred during the conflict. Anton Herashchenko, an additional official from Ukraine, reported that local locals attacked a column of Russian armored vehicles and set at least one vehicle on fire. He added that the residents also threw rocks at the vehicles. [26] [29][30]
Later on the 27th of February, Ukrainian authorities issued a warning to the people living in Bucha, warning them not to jump on any buses that were leaving the city in an attempt to evacuate because Ukrainian officials had not yet started the evacuation process. Ukrainian officials asserted that it was part of a plan by Russian forces to obtain access into Kyiv by using the citizens as human shields and following behind the buses. According to these officials, the Russians planned to use the civilians as human shields in order to enter Kyiv. [31] [32]
Anatoliy Fedoruk, the mayor of Bucha, released a video on February 28, 2022, showing vehicles from Russia in a state of smoking destruction. According to Fedoruk, there were no losses sustained by the Ukrainian forces during the skirmish. [33]
March
On March 1, photographs of destroyed and abandoned Russian equipment began to circulate through the Ukrainian news media. Some individuals have described Bucha as a graveyard for the destroyed Russian weaponry.
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
On March 2, 2022, the government of Ukraine started providing relief to Bucha, which was intended for those in need.
[38] The Kyiv Oblast State Administration made an announcement on evacuations the following day for both Bucha and Irpin. It was stated that more over 1,500 women and children were able to flee using the train, but only 250 were able to do so using the bus. [39] [40] According to reports from Ukrainian officials, the evacuations were difficult due to the fact that several railway tracks had been destroyed during the battle. [41]
Later on March 3, the Ukrainian Ground Forces made the announcement that Ukrainian forces had retaken Bucha. Along with the announcement, they posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers hoisting the Ukrainian flag near the building that houses the municipal council.
[42]
[43][44][45] Emergency response personnel from Ukraine brought the city back online with electricity.
[42][43] Russian soldiers continued to fight within Bucha, but they were eventually driven out of the city by Ukrainian forces and pushed to the outskirts of the city.
[46][47]
On March 4, 2022, Fedoruk announced that Ukrainian control of the city had been maintained despite ongoing attacks by Russian forces. These attacks were ongoing since the previous day.
[48] Russian soldiers were responsible for the death of three unarmed Ukrainian civilians who had just delivered dog food to a dog shelter and were on their way back home in a car when they were shot and murdered by Russian forces.
[49]
As of the 5th of March in 2022, Russian forces have not ceased their assault on Bucha.
[50] Arestovych later reported that Russian forces had taken control of both Bucha and Hostomel, and that they were preventing the civilian population from fleeing. [51] At approximately 7:15 in the morning on that day, Russian forces saw a pair of cars carrying two families and proceeded to open fire on the convoy, resulting in the death of a guy who was riding in the second vehicle. The leading vehicle was struck by gunfire, which caused it to catch fire and resulted in the deaths of two children and their mother. [52]
The Russian military ramped up its shelling of the city on March 6, 2022, resulting in the deaths of some civilians in the city. Due to the ongoing bombing, the Bucha City Council said that inhabitants were seeking refuge in basements and that the city was unable to receive humanitarian supplies at this time. [53] [54] According to a report by Radio Svoboda, the captured city was running out of supplies and Russian soldiers were killing residents. In addition, Radio Svoboda stated that Russian military were occupying the city. [55] The next day, Russian forces began preparing for a push against Irpin by stationing three tank units near Bucha. This was in preparation for the day before. [56] Later, the former mayor of Irpin, Volodymyr Karplyuk, alleged that Russian forces had destroyed the Glass Plastic and Fiber Research Institute in Bucha, which resulted in the release of vapors of acetone and other chemicals. Karplyuk was a member of the Ukrainian government. [57]
Fedoruk reported on the 8th of March 2022 that Ukrainian forces were still battling in Bucha and that they had been successful in regaining area. He further reported that Russian forces were in possession of the city's key highways, that they had increased their shelling, and that they were not allowing the citizens of Bucha to leave their houses. [58] [59][60] Later on March 8, the Russian forces gave permission for the local inhabitants to go outside for a limited amount of time so that they could cook food and remove remains from the area. Because Russian forces were controlling all of the city's electrical substations, the city continued to be without electricity. [61]
On March 9, 2022, Ukrainian forces carried out a large-scale evacuation across the entirety of Kyiv Oblast, including the city of Bucha. In Kyiv Oblast, there may have been as many as 20,000 citizens rescued. [62] In the midst of the battle and the evacuation, the state administration for the Kyiv Oblast classified the situation in Bucha as tense. [63]
On the 12th of March 2022, the Bucha City Council made the announcement that all of the city had been taken by Russian forces. According to the council's report, the Russian troops would not let locals leave their homes and would occasionally shoot at civilians. [1] In spite of the takeover, a group of twenty buses carrying people was able to leave the city without incident. [64]
Russian control
On April 8, 2022, the bodies that had been buried in a mass grave beside a church in Bucharest were exhumed.
On March 13th, locals of Bucharest buried 67 bodies in a communal tomb that was located close to a church. The Russian artillery was responsible for the deaths of those who were buried, and some of the bodies could not be identified. [2] [65] [66] After some time had passed, Russian soldiers were observed ransacking homes throughout the city. [67]
By the 15th of March, Russian forces had begun their occupation of the city hall and had begun taking hostages within the structure. The citizens were let go the day after they were captured. [68] In the meantime, Obozrevatel has released a film that shows Russian armored vehicles that have been abandoned sitting in residential driveways and garages. [69] [70]
According to the Ukrainian military, its forces launched a counterattack against Russian-held territories near Kyiv on March 16th, including in Bucha. These locations include areas that are now under Russian control.
[71]
Oleksandr Pavlyuk, the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, stated on the 22nd of March that Bucha and Hostomel were under the control of the Russian army and that no Ukrainian offensive actions could be taken there at the time. He also stated that this prevented any offensive actions from being taken by the Ukrainian military. The primary mission of the Ukrainian armed forces was to thwart any attempts by Russian troops to bridge the Irpin River. [72]
Ukraine regains control
External video YouTube logo video icon Bucha is being cleaned up by specialized units of the National Police, as seen in this video released by the National Police of Ukraine.
On April 2nd, Ukrainian police arrive in Bucharest.
Alexander Fomin, who serves as the Deputy Minister of Defense for Russia, made the announcement on March 29 that the Russian military would restrict its activity near Kyiv and Chernihiv.
[73] As of the 31st of March, Ukrainian forces were making their way towards Bucha in the midst of a general Russian withdrawal from the area, which resulted in severe fighting with local Russian troops. [74]
Oleksandr Pavliuk, the chief of the Ukrainian military administration for the Kyiv region, made the announcement the next day that the Bucha district had been retaken in large part. According to what he said, Russian troops were attempting to withdraw while Ukrainian forces continued to strike them. The fighting continued to the north of Bucha and along the axis of Hostomel, Bucha, and Vorzel. [75] Meanwhile, as of the 31st of March, both the mayor of Bucha, Anatolii Fedoruk, and the Institute for the Study of War announced that the city had been completely reclaimed from Russian soldiers. [76] [77]
Mass killings in Bucha
Massacre in Bucharest (main article)
A synopsis of the Bucha mass murder ought to be included in this section. For instructions on how to include it into the primary text of this article, see the Wikipedia page on the Summary style. (April 2022)
After Ukrainian forces retook control of Bucha, rumors and testimonies of war crimes committed by the Russian military began to surface. These crimes include the use of chemical weapons and the sexual assault of children. Reporters from the Agence France-Presse discovered twenty dead scattered across a street in Bucharest. At least one of them was restrained with their hands behind their back, and every single victim was a male. [78] According to Anatoly Fedoruk, who served as mayor, there were approximately 280 victims buried in a mass grave. [79]
According to a report by The Guardian, once the Ukrainian troops successfully retook control of the Kyiv Oblast, "[they] were faced with appalling devastation upon their entry into the area: bodies in the streets, evidence of execution-style executions of people, mass graves, and slain children."
[80]
In a basement, eighteen mangled bodies of people who had been slain, including men, women, and children, were discovered, as reported by The Times and The Washington Post. The victims' ears had been severed, and their teeth had been extracted as a sign of their ordeal. Corpses of other deceased civilians were left on the road, and it is suspected that some of them had been booby-trapped with explosives by Russian soldiers before they withdrew as a form of deception. [81] [82]
Residents of the town and the mayor both confirmed that Russian troops were responsible for the deaths of the victims. It appears that several of the victims were going about their normal daily activities, such as walking their dogs or carrying shopping bags when they were attacked. Because the victims' bodies were unharmed, it was clear that they had been shot rather than having their deaths caused by explosive bombs. [83] The video showed dead individuals with their hands tied behind their backs. In another other footage, a deceased man was seen lying close to his bicycle. It appeared that various creatures, including pets, had been killed. [84]
It appeared from the evidence that the Russians had chosen out Ukrainian civilian men and murdered them in an organized manner. Many of the bodies of these men were found dead with their wrists tied behind their backs, which was a telltale sign that the Russians had committed these murders.
[85] An AFP reporter claimed on April 2 that he had observed at least twenty bodies of people lying in the streets of Bucharest. Two of the bodies had their wrists bound, which suggests that they were executed in a quick manner. According to Fedoruk, each of these people had a gunshot wound to the back of the head. [86]
Residents described the treatment of people in the town during the brief occupation by Russian forces to Human Rights Watch after the retreat of the Russian forces: Russian soldiers went door to door, questioning people, destroying their possessions, and looting their clothes to wear them themselves.
[87] Occupying Russian troops opened fire on civilians who ventured outside their homes in search of food and water. Occupying Russian troops also ordered civilians to return to their homes, despite the fact that they lacked basic necessities such as water and heat as a result of the destruction of local infrastructure.
[87]
Snipers opened fire on innocent bystanders. Buildings in the town were subjected to indiscriminate fire from Russian armed vehicles. The Russian military refused to provide medical assistance to the injured people. In addition to carrying out extrajudicial murders, occupying troops constructed a mass grave for the local victims who had been killed. [87]
There are numerous dead bodies of citizens seen lying in the streets and backyards of Bucharest in video documentations that have been provided by CNN, the BBC, and Bild. Some of the deceased have their arms or legs tied. Atrocities committed in Bucha, including at least one instance of a person being executed without due process, have also been reported by the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch. [90]