The battle of Okhtyrka was a
military engagement in and around
Okhtyrka city in
Sumy Oblast of Ukraine. It began on 24 February 2022, as part of the
northern Ukraine offensive during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fighting began in the outskirts of the city as Russian forces attempted to occupy the city. The initial advance was repelled, and the city was attacked by artillery fire. On March 26, 2022, it was reported that the strategic stronghold of
Trostianets was taken back by Ukrainian forces. This disrupted Russian communications and supply routes, threatening the Russian front.
The Russian offensive has been criticized for civilian casualties and the use of
cluster bombs, which may constitute
war crimes.
Battle
On the morning of 24 February, Russian forces entered
Sumy Oblast from Russia, with fighting beginning at 07:30 at the nearby village of
Velyka Pysarivka.[4] Russian forces were unable to occupy Okhtyrka, and retreated the following day, leaving behind tanks and equipment.[5]
On 26 February, two
Danish journalists were wounded when their car was shot at by unknown forces.[12][13]
According to Zhyvytskyi, during the fighting on 27 February Russian soldiers and civilians were killed.[1]
On 28 February, Russian forces bombed and destroyed an oil depot in Okhtyrka.[14] Also more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed when a military base in Okhtyrka was hit by a Russian
thermobaric bomb, local officials said.[1][15]
On 3 March, Zhyvytskyi claimed that a Russian airstrike on the local
combined heat and power station had cut off the city's electricity and heating supply.[16][17]
In the night of 7/8 March, Russian bomb destroyed an administrative building and heavily damaged neighboring museum of local history.[18]
In the early morning of 10 March, Zhyvytskyi stated that Okhtyrka was being constantly bombed, destroying the city's infrastructure including the
sewage system and
water supply network.[17]
On 14 March, Pavlo Kuzmenko, the mayor of Okhtyrka, stated that at least three civilians had been killed in a Russian airstrike that struck a residential area.[19]
By 26 March, Russian forces withdrew from Okhtyrka.[20]
Markarova claimed that the use of thermobaric weapons is in violation of the
Geneva Conventions.[27][28][29] The attack destroyed a Ukrainian military base, killing 70 soldiers.[30]
Photos and a video
Okhtyrka after Russian shelling, 2 March 2022
The Russian shelling of a kindergarten resulted in 8 deaths
The Okhtyrka Heat and Power Plant after Russian shelling
Aftermath
In July, Okhtyrka suffered severe power issues due to damage on the plant during the battle.[31]