STATUS UPDATE ON
THE NORTHERN BATTLEFONT
OF THE WAR ON UKRAINE
THE NORTHERN BATTLEFRONTS
ALONG THE UKRAINIAN EASTERN BORDER WITH RUSSIA
BELARUS AND THE NORTHERN ASSAULT ON UKRAINE
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, borders Ukraine to the north. Before the start of war, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory, which it did not leave after they were supposed to finish.
The country did not oppose it being used as a launching pad for the invasion of Russian troops that started on 24 February.
On the day of invasion, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported Russian troops trying to break through the Belarus-Ukraine border at a guarded border crossing.
The Ukrainian commander-in-chief reported that ballistic missiles were launched from Belarus towards the southwest. Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine are reported to be placed in morgues in the Homiel Region of Belarus rather than being sent home to Russia.
Belarus's assistance of Russia's invasion drew condemnation from Western powers. On the day of invasion, the US Treasury issued sanctions against Belarus for its involvement in the Russian invasion. Several military industrial companies and generals were sanctioned.
CHERNOBYL
The Battle of Chernobyl was an early military confrontation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone between the Russian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia amassed troops along the Belarusian border to the north of Ukraine and launched ground and air assaults from that position.
In the afternoon of 24 February 2022, the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian government announced that Russian forces had launched an attack to capture the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
By the end of the day, the Ukrainian government further announced that Russian forces had captured Chernobyl and Pripyat. Following the Russian capture of the exclusion zone, the American government announced "credible reports that Russian soldiers are currently holding the staff of the Chernobyl facilities hostage."
It was reported that artillery shelling hit radioactive waste storage locations and an increase in radioactivity was observed. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency has stated "there had been no casualties nor destruction at the industrial site."
In the greater picture of the Kyiv offensive, the capture of Chernobyl can be considered a waypoint for Russian troops advancing towards Kyiv. Ben Hodges, former commanding general of the United States Army Europe, stated that the exclusion zone was "important because of where it sits... If Russian forces were attacking Kyiv from the north, Chernobyl is right there on the way."
Updates on the War in Chernobyl
CHERNIHIV
Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, serves as the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast (province), Chernihiv's population is 285,234 (slightly smaller than St. Louis, Missouri in the U.S. )
The Siege of Chernihiv, is an ongoing siege at the city of Chernihiv, Ukraine. It began on 24 February 2022, as part of the Kyiv offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, the Ukrainian military repelled a Russian attack in Chernihiv and seized Russian equipment and documents. According to the British Ministry of Defense, Russian forces had failed to capture the city and instead opted to bypass the city through an alternative route to Kyiv.
On 25 February 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces had surrounded Chernihiv and was laying siege to the city. The next day, Ukrainian forces claimed the defeat of a Russian military unit that attempted to capture the city.
On 27 February, Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian forces damaged most of Chernihiv's city center with missiles, including the destruction of a historic cinema. Russian forces later claimed that they had completely blockaded the city.
On 2 March, the mayor of Chernihiv, Vladyslav Atroshenko, predicted that urban warfare in the city was possible. Two missiles hit a hospital in the city during the day according to the health administration chief, Serhiy Pivovar.
As of March 22nd:
After almost a month of shelling and bombing, the city of Chernihiv is on the verge of collapse. Half the population has left, the remaining 130 thousand are predominantly sick, elderly or unable to fully care for themselves. The suburbs have been fully destroyed by Russian shelling, the city has no electricity or water. Repairs and logistics are nearly impossible due to Russian artillery strikes. – Commissioner for Human Rights of the Parliament of Ukraine.
Updates on the War in Chernihiv
Sophia Square in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine (prior to the Russian Invasion)