Battle of Hostomel

Not to be confused with Battle of Antonov Airport.
Battle of Hostomel
Part of the Kyiv offensive and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russian casualties and damaged armoured vehicles in the aftermath of the battle on 4 March in Hostomel
Date25 February – 1 April 2022
(1 month and 1 week)
Location
Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents

 Russia

 Ukraine
Units involved

 Russian Armed Forces

 Armed Forces of Ukraine

National Guard of Ukraine
Security Service of Ukraine

HUR MOU[1]
Irregular civilian volunteers (militia)[1]

  • Ukrainian guerrillas[3]

The battle of Hostomel was the first major battle in the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[4] fought for control over the town of Hostomel between the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces. As part of the Kyiv offensive, the Russian forces sought control over Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin in order to encircle and besiege the Ukrainian capital city Kyiv from the west.[5][6] Due to the intensity of the Kyiv offensive, the Kyiv Oblast State Administration named Hostomel, along with Irpin, Bucha, Highway M06, and Vyshhorod as the most dangerous places in Kyiv Oblast.[7]

The Russian plans had been to quickly advance on and attack Kyiv, which would have disrupted command and control by the Ukrainian government. Forces sent were insufficient to capture such a large city unless there was a political collapse. While the Russians were able to capture the airport, they were unable to use it to establish an airbridge. The fighting in and around Hostomel has been described as a decisive moment in the early stages of the invasion. It prevented the Russians from quickly taking control of Ukraine. Having failed to achieve their operational objective, Russian forces not only withdrew from Hostomel but from all of Kyiv Oblast at the start of April during the peace negotiations which Putin claimed was as gesture. [8][9][10]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Andy Blatchford (24 March 2022). "Band of others: Ukraine's legions of foreign soldiers are on the frontline". Politico. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  3. ^ ""Ребята, сугубо гражданские, чуть ли не во время боя гуглили, как пользоваться оружием": рассказ участника партизанского движения". fakty.ua. May 3, 2022. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022.
  4. ^ Plokhy, Serhii (2023). The Russo-Ukrainian war: the return of history. New York, NY: WW Norton. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-324-05119-0.
  5. ^ "Latest Military Situation in Ukraine, 27 February 2022 (Map Update)". Islamic World News. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. ^ Clark, Mason; Barros, George; Stepanenko, Kateryna (27 February 2022). "Russia-Ukraine Warning Update: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 27, 2022". Critical Threats. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Буча, Ірпінь, Гостомель: Кулеба назвав найнебезпечніші місця Київської області". Depo Kyiv. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  8. ^ Collins, Liam; Kofman, Michael; Spencer, John (10 August 2023). "The Battle of Hostomel Airport: A Key Moment in Russia's Defeat in Kyiv". War on the Rocks. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  9. ^ "The battle for Kyiv revisited: the litany of mistakes that cost Russia a quick win". The Guardian. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  10. ^ "One year later: How Russia came to fail in Ukraine, battle after battle". Kyiv Independent. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.