Friday, May 13, 2022

UKRAINE WAR IN MAPS - TRACKING THE RUSSIAN INVASION

 BBC News 13 May 2022 - by the Visual Journalism Team


Russian forces are continuing to focus their attacks on the east of the country but resistance from Ukrainian troops is slowing their progress.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Strong Ukrainian defences in Donbas region holding for now
  • Fighting continuing on the outskirts of second-city Kharkiv
  • Ongoing bombardment of Mariupol factory by Russian forces
  • Russians attempting to improve positions around Kherson
Map showing areas of Ukraine currently under Russian control

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, but Ukrainian forces retook large areas around the capital Kyiv in early April after Russia abandoned its push towards Kyiv.

Following the withdrawal from the north of Ukraine, Russia has refocused its efforts on taking control of the east and south of the country.

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Russians regrouping in the east

Russian officials have said its forces are fighting for the "complete liberation" of the Donbas, which broadly refers to Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists held significant territory before the invasion.

Map showing the Russian military advance into Ukraine from the east

While Russian advances have stalled around the city of Izyum, they have had some success to the east where they appear to have captured the city of Rubizhne, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

But Ukrainian forces launched a successful attack on Russian troops in the area earlier this week, destroying nearly all of a Russian battalion's armoured vehicles while they were attempting to cross the Siversky Donets river.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) described the attempted river crossing as a "highly risky manoeuvre" and said it showed the pressure Russian commanders were under to make progress in their operations in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are continuing attempts to push Russian troops back from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. The ISW says this has likely forced the Russians to divert some of their artillery to the area to try to stop the Ukrainian counterattack.

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Russia targets full control of south

Russian forces initially made rapid gains in the south, with their main objective being the creation of a land corridor between Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and areas held by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.

But strong resistance from Ukrainian forces near Mykolaiv in the west and in Mariupol in the east significantly slowed Russian advances.

Map showing the Russian military advance into Ukraine in the south

The port city of Mariupol, which has been encircled since the start of March, is now mostly under the control of Russian forces.

Several hundred Ukrainian troops remain holed up in the Azovstal metal works factory in the south of the city, with Russian forces continuing attempts to take control of the sprawling industrial complex.

Map showing how Russian forces have moved in on Mariupol

To the west, Russia had aimed to take control of Odesa and cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, but its forces were blocked by a staunch defence in Mykolaiv and forced back towards Kherson by a Ukrainian counteroffensive in March.

Russian forces are now regrouping in the area in an effort to resume attacks towards Mykolaiv, according to the ISW.

In the Black Sea, Russia is continuing efforts to reinforce its troops on Snake Island. The roughly 16-hectare (40-acre) rocky outpost is owned by Ukraine but was taken over by Russian forces in February.

These efforts suffered a setback this week as Ukrainian forces struck Russian air defences on the island and resupply vessels, according to the MoD, which had become more exposed following the sinking of the Russian flagship Moskva in April.

By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou and Prina Shah.

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About these maps

To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project.

To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using daily updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.

The situation in Ukraine is fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.