April 4 |
Ukraine wins the battle for Kyiv and Russia looks east
Russian troops are reorganizing in order to focus on the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, in line with the Kremlin's new strategy.
British intelligence services warned that Russian soldiers and mercenaries were moving eastward.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) considers that Ukraine has won the battle of Kyiv: Russian troops who had been posted near the capital ever since their swift advance from Belarus at the start of the invasion have now withdrawn from their positions on both sides of the Dnipro river.
Although the main contingent has withdrawn to Belarus, leaving land mines in their trail, the withdrawal “has been sufficiently disorderly that some Russian troops were left behind,” said the ISW.
turn on
advance
Ukrainian
counterattack
Russian
control
Besiege
city
city controlled
by the Russians
earlier
advance
recent bombing
recent combat
BELARUS
RUSSIA
Chernihiv
Konotop
Sumy
Brovary
Irpin
Kyiv
Kharkiv
Izyum
UKRAINE
Slovyansk
Lugansk
Dnipro
donbas
Zaporizhzhia
Donetsk
Mykolayiv
odessa
Kherson
Mariupol
MOLD.
Melitopol
Berdyansk
Sea of Azov
CRIMEA
Annexed by Russia
in 2014
black sea
250km
Note: What does “control” mean?
It requires exerting a physical influence over an area to prevent its use by the enemy.
It could be achieved by occupying the area or by holding power over it with weapons.
It does not imply any form of governance or legitimacy.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project (for advances and areas under control);
UK intelligence (besieged cities);
EL PAÍS and other sources (fighting and airstrikes).
Activate advance
ukrainian counterattack
Russian control
Recent
combat
Recent
bombing
Besieged city
city controlled
by the Russians
earlier advance
Russian
retreat
BELARUS
Russian
retreat
Kursk
Chernihiv
RUSSIA
Konotop
Russian
retreat
Sumy
Brovary
Irpin
Belgorod
Yitomir
Kyiv
Kharkiv
Izyum
UKRAINE
Slovyansk
Lugansk
Dnipro
donbas
Krivoy Rog
Donetsk
nuclear power plant
Mykolayiv
MOLD.
Melitopol
odessa
Kherson
Mariupol
Berdyansk
Sea of Azov
CRIMEA
Annexed by Russia
in 2014
black sea
250km
Note: What does “control” mean?
It requires exerting a physical influence over an area to prevent its use by the enemy.
It could be achieved by occupying the area or by holding power over it with weapons.
It does not imply any form of governance or legitimacy.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project (for advances and areas under control);
UK intelligence (besieged cities);
EL PAÍS and other sources (fighting and airstrikes).
Activate advance
earlier advance
Russian control
ukrainian counterattack
Besieged city
City controlled by the Russians
recent combat
recent bombing
Russian
retreat
BELARUS
Russian
retreat
Chernihiv
RUSSIA
Russian
retreat
Sumy
Irpin
Brovary
Yitomir
Kyiv
Kharkiv
Izyum
UKRAINE
Slovyansk
Dnipro
Lugansk
Krivoy Rog
donbas
Zaporizhzhia
Donetsk
Nuclear power station
Mykolayiv
MOLD.
Melitopol
odessa
Kherson
Mariupol
Berdyansk
Sea of Azov
CRIMEA
Annexed by Russia
in 2014
black sea
250km
Note: What does “control” mean?
It requires exerting a physical influence over an area to prevent its use by the enemy.
It could be achieved by occupying the area or by holding power over it with weapons.
It does not imply any form of governance or legitimacy.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project (for advances and areas under control);
UK intelligence (besieged cities);
EL PAÍS and other sources (fighting and airstrikes).
Despite the failed attempt to capture the capital, the war goes on and Russia still has the capacity to conduct an offensive operation in eastern Ukraine.
The current line of Russian occupation in the south and the east represents significant territorial gains from what it was before the conflict began.
Russia is in control of the south of Crimea and east of Donbas, and the ISW warns that “if a ceasefire or peace agreement freezes a line like the current front-line trace, Russia will be able to exert much greater pressure on Ukraine than it did before the invasion and may over time reassemble a more effective invasion force.
Ukraine's victory in the Battle of Kyiv is thus significant but not decisive.”
