STATUS UPDATE ON
THE SOUTHERN BATTLEFONT
OF THE WAR ON UKRAINE
THE SOUTHERN BATTLEFRONTS
ALONG THE BLACK SEA
ALONG THE BLACK SEA
KHERSON
Kherson is a city in the south of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Kherson Oblast and an economic center. Kherson is an important port on the Black Sea and on the Dnieper River, and the home of a major ship-building industry. The population is approximately population of 283,649 (roughly the size of Durham, North Carolina or Buffalo, New York)
The Kherson offensive is an important theatre of operation in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control over Southern Ukraine. The offensive began on 24 February, after Russian Armed Forces crossed the border into Ukraine and were subsequently engaged by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On 2 March, the mayor of Kherson confirmed he had surrendered the city and that the Russian commander expressed plans to set up a military administration According to the mayor, the battle led to the deaths of around 300 Ukrainian civilians and soldiers, and there was severe destruction of city infrastructure and "limited water and little food".
Kherson was the first major Ukrainian city captured by Russian forces during the Kherson offensive.
The aftermath of the capture is seen as a model of what awaits other cities.
An agreement was reached in which the Ukrainian flag would still be hoisted in the city while Russia established the new administration. Mayor Igor Kolykhayev announced new conditions for the city's residents, such as citizens only being allowed outside during daytime and forbidden to gather in groups, and cars only being allowed to enter the city to supply food and medicine; these vehicles were to drive at minimum speeds and were subject to searches. Citizens were warned to not provoke Russian soldiers and obey any commands given. The mayor requested humanitarian assistance, saying "production, critical infrastructure has been suspended. The city is without power and without water" and "We have cancer patients, children who need medication. This medication is not currently getting through to them." Around 2,000 protesters marched in the city centre waving Ukrainian flags, singing the national anthem, and chanting patriotic slogans. Russian troops reportedly shot into the air to deter the approaching crowd. Some locals claimed the Russians had a list of Ukrainian activists they wanted to capture.
Statements from the Mayor of Kherson in the final days before capture by Russians:
"The town is under fire.
Residential buildings and urban objects are on fire. We are trying to coordinate the work of city services, but, I admit, it is VERY DIFFICULT right now!
You and I are NOT soldiers, we are civilians. I am at my workplace and my task is now to extinguish fires, protect the Ukrainian flag over the city, save your lives and eliminate the consequences of the city shelling as quickly as possible. The city must live no matter what!
Help me out! Stay off the streets, be safe - that's all I ask!
We are NOT the military! But I will keep the city and its liveliness as long as I can.
If the Russian soldiers and their leadership hear me. I ask you, get out of our city, stop shelling at civilians. You already took everything you asked for. That includes human lives. God will be your judge and go towards the Russian ship...
Kherson was and will remain a Ukrainian city!"
"Last night when my team and I were at City Hall, the building was shelled. Everybody is alive. But I ask you again: don't leave home.
Do not provoke the shooting with your actions and behavior.
We are in a very difficult situation, there is no need to make it worse.
Today I will be engaged in finding a way out how to collect the dead, how to restore light, gas, water and heat where they are damaged. "
After The Fall
"These weren't negotiations or anything that was already rumored about. No one agreed on anything with me.
However, indeed, there were armed visitors in the city council today.
My team and I are peaceful people, we had no weapons or aggression on our side. We have shown that we are working to secure the city and are trying to eliminate the consequences of the invasion. We are experiencing enormous difficulties with collecting and burying the dead, delivering food and medicine, garbage removal, accidents removal, etc. ......
I made no promises to them. i just have nothing to promise. I am only interested in the normal life of our city! I just asked not to shoot people. We don't have Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city, only civilians and people who want to LIVE here!
Result:
1. You can only go to the city during the day.
2. The curfew from 20.00 to 06.00 is strictly observed.
3. Only cars with food, medicines and other things enter the city.
4. We will release public transport again so that employees of the bakery, shops, pharmacies, etc. could get to work. d.
5. Pedestrians walk one by one, maximum two. The military will not be provoked. Stop at the first demand. They do not conflict.
6. Cars that are allowed to be in the city, drive at minimum speeds, should be ready to show the contents of the transport at any moment.
So far this is how it is. Ukrainian flag above us. And to keep it the same, these requirements must be met. I have nothing else to offer yet.
Updates on the War in and around Kherson
MELITOPOL
Melitopol is a city and municipality in Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southeastern Ukraine. It is situated on the Molochna River that flows through the eastern edge of the city and eventually joins the Sea of Azov. Melitopol is the second largest city in the oblast after Zaporizhzhia. Its population is approximately 150,768 (roughly the size of Charleston South Carolina in the U.S.)
The Battle of Melitopol was a military engagement between Ukrainian and Russian armed forces at the city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine as part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the Kherson offensive.
On 25 February 2022, Russian forces reportedly entered Melitopol amid heavy clashes. According to the governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, shells hit apartment buildings and intensive street fighting occurred. According to unofficial sources, the local city council was shelled and a screenshot of camera footage showed tanks rolling onto the city's main street. During the battle, Russian forces fired at a hospital in the city, killing 4 people and injuring 10.
The city's leadership surrendered the city later on 25 February, with Russian forces fully occupying the city. Ukrainian forces later launched an attack on the city. Russia claimed on 26 February that it had taken the city,
On 28 February, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia Oblast stated that Russian troops had damaged buildings of an emergency rescue unit. Local Ukrainian forces were able to regain the city hall building during the day and the building was under the protection of local self-defense forces.
On 1 March, Russian forces started preparing to resume their attack on Melitopol and other cities. On 1 March 2022, citizens of the city held a street protest against the occupation by Russian forces. The protestors marched and used their bodies to block a convoy of Russian military vehicles.
The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, later stated that the Russians had occupied the city. A United States Department of Defense official also confirmed that Russian forces had captured the city.
Updates on the War in Melitopol
MYKOLAYIV
Mykolaiv is a strategically important shipbuilding city on the Black Sea
Mykolaiv is a strategically important city and municipality in southern Ukraine and the main shipbuilding center of the Black Sea. The city has a population of 476,101. (slightly smaller than Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S. )
The city is an important transportation hub of Ukraine (sea port, commercial port, river port, highway and railway junction, airport). and is seen as the next key stepping stone for Russian forces on the road to Odessa.
The Battle of Mykolaiv is an ongoing military engagement which started on the night of 26 February 2022, as part of the Kherson offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russian tanks managed to break through in Kakhovka on the Dnieper and began heading towards Mykolaiv. Vitaly Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, stated that the city had 5 hours to prepare.
Soon tanks were in the outskirts of the city and the mayor ordered citizens to stay at home and as far away from windows as possible. Shortly after, troops entered the city . After roughly three hours of fighting, Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian forces were fully driven away from the city
On 28 February, Russian troops advanced from Kherson towards Mykolaiv, reaching the city's outskirts and launching an assault at 11:00.
The Ukrainian Navy scuttled their only frigate and the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy Hetman Sahaidachny in the port of Mykolaiv on or before 3 March. On that day, a photo was published showing the frigate partially sunk in port.
On 4 March, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said that Russian troops were attacking the city from the north, east and south. Ukrainian troops held a single drawbridge spanning the Southern Bug, the easiest route for Russian forces to reach the port of Odessa.
Even though the battle for Mykolaiv is still raging, Russian troops have also moved past Mykolaiv in the direction of Voznesensk. The Yuzhnoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant is just beyond Voznesensk.
Updates on the War in Mykolaiv
SNAKE ISLAND
On 24 February 2022, on the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, two Russian naval warships, attacked Snake Island, a Ukrainian island in the Black Sea. Later on the same day, following a second attack, the island was invaded and captured by Russian forces.Thirteen Ukrainian border guards, representing the entirety of the Ukrainian military presence on the island, were allegedly killed during the battle after refusing to surrender.
One of the Ukrainian border guards told an officer onboard a Russian navy warship to "go fuck yourself" when asked to surrender. The response gained worldwide attention and became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine, Ukraine's highest award, to the 13 defenders. Russian Authorities claimed that 87 soldiers had been captured on the island.
Updates on the War on Snake Island
ODESSA
Odessa is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major tourism centre, seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. Odessa is sometimes called the "Pearl of the Black Sea". The population of Odessa in 2021 was 1,015,826 (slightly smaller than Dallas Texas).
The port of Odessa is one of the Ukrainian Navy's most important bases on the Black Sea. Rail transport is an important sector of the economy in Odessa – largely due to the role it plays in delivering goods and imports to and from the city's port. Foreign business ventures have thrived in the area, as since 1 January 2000, much of the city and its surrounding area has been declared a free economic zone – this has aided the foundation of foreign companies' and corporations' Ukrainian divisions and allowed them to more easily invest in the Ukrainian manufacturing and service sectors. To date a number of Japanese and Chinese companies, as well as a host of European enterprises, have invested in the development of the free economic zone, to this end private investors in the city have invested a great deal of money into the provision of quality office real estate and modern manufacturing facilities such as warehouses and plant complexes.
Within minutes of Putin's announcement of war on February 24, 2022 explosions were reported in Odessa . However no major offensives against Odessa have occurred thus far (as of March 6th)
Odessa is considered to be a key city in the War for Ukraine...... not only because of it's size but
because of it's location as a major port city on the Black Sea.
On Sunday, March 6th, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russian forces were turning their attention to the historic western port city of Odessa, which has so far been largely spared. Ukrainian officials expect aerial bombing to commence in the very near future . Russian military ground troops continue their assaults on Mykolaiv which is the final major city on the path to Odessa.
All eyes are on the capital city of Kyiv .....
but also on Kharkiv in the east....
and on Odessa in the south.
Those three cities hold the key to the future
of Ukraine as an independent nation.
The fate of those cities... is the fate of Ukraine.
Updates on the War in and around Odessa
Sophia Square in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine (prior to the Russian Invasion)