HAAS

The battle of Kyiv was arguably the most important battle of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. If the capital would have fallen, there would have been little hope for recovery. The battle of Kyiv started with an attack on Hostomel Airport with Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters and Mil Mi-8 helikopters carrying paratroopers on 24 February 2022, early in the morning. Shortly before the attack Putin announced a ‘special military operation’ in a a televised speech.

The Russians succeeded taking over the airport but two Ukrainian Su-24 bombers of the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade managed to damage the runway. Airport staff drove trucks onto the runway, making the airport useless for Russian air support. Instead the Russians used the airport as a forward operating base for ground troops. Satellite images showed no Russian forces inside the airport by 28 March 2022.

Russian helicopters advancing on Hostomel Airport on 24 February 2022.

Despite being overwhelmed by the Russians, Ukraine managed to destroy quite a few advanced Ka-52 attack helicopters.

The next day

On 25 February a small Russian convoy drove through Bucha towards Kyiv, likely accidentally separated from other units, and was ambushed in Irpin and completely destroyed. But on 27 February Russian ground forces advanced into Bucha. After heavy fighting for two weeks, on 12 March 2022, the Bucha City Council announced that Russian forces had fully occupied the city.

Another phase in the battle of Kyiv was the advance of the Russian Kyiv convoy, a large column of Russian military vehicles, to take over the capital. This also didn’t go according to plan. Because of fuel and food shortages and Ukrainian resistance, the convoy was halted. The column was first spotted on satellite images on 28 February 2022. By 31 March the US Department of Defense (DoD) could not confirm the column was still there. It had simply dissolved.

By 31 March the Russians retreated from the Kyiv area, including Bucha. The Battle of Kyiv was over and won by Ukraine.

“We are all here, our troops are here, citizens are here, all of us are here protecting our independence of our country. And it will continue to be this way. Glory to our defenders, Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes.”

— 25 February 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the president's office in Kyiv

The road to Bucha

I travelled to Bucha via Irpin to get a sense of the battle and its geography. From Akademmistechko, the final stop of the Kyiv M1 metro line, I took a minibus to Irpin. From Irpin you can walk to Bucha in half an hour but I took a train instead. What struck me most is how ordinary a place like Irpin is. In peacetime nothing ever happens in Irpin.

Irpin railway station and the train to Bucha.

From Hostomel Airport to Irpin river is just 12 kilometers. The Irpin river was the last natural barrier before the outskirts of Kyiv. After the river there is a forested area of about 2 kilometres before you reach the residential part of Kyiv. Below is the route the Russians took until they were halted.

Bucha (Буча), Vokzalna Street

Vokzalna street became infamous because it visualised the attempt by the Russian army to take over Kyiv. After the Russian withdrawal from Bucha, press photos showed the full horror of the war: the street was coloured matt black because of the fighting. Ukrainian forces entered Bucha on 1 April 2022, soon the Bucha massacre became clear. In August 2022 the count of civilian deaths was published: 458, the vast majority of the bodies had signs of shooting, torture, or violent trauma.

Two years later the street has been cleaned up, some houses have been rebuild, some are still being rebuild. What struck me most is how mundane this street is. After walking up and down the street a couple of times I wanted to do something unremarkable. I went to the hairdresser and had a haircut.

Considering the current war this memorial commemorating the Afghanistan war from 1979 to 1989, in Bucha, is pretty crazy. It shows a Soviet BRDM-2 patrol vehicle. Back then Ukrainians and Russians were bothers in arms in the Soviet Army.

The extension of the main shopping street of Bucha has countless portraits of mostly men who died during the Battle of Bucha.

Vodoprovidna St, Bucha, Oblast Kiev

Irpin (Ірпі́нь)

Travelling back from Bucha to Kyiv I walked to Irpin. In Irpin I would take a minibus back to Kyiv.

In Irpin the war damage is still very visible. Bucha has gotten more international attention and therefor more funds for repairs. According to Irpin’s mayor Oleksandr Markushyn 115 buildings had been completely destroyed, 698 significantly damaged and another 187 need partial repairs.

If the Russians would have succeeded crossing Irpin river they would have ended up roughly in this part on the outskirts of Kyiv near Akademmistechko. From there it is another 12 kilometers to Maidan square.

The battle continues

Even though Kyiv is safe from Russian ground troops, it is not safe from attacks by air. Below the weapons Russia is still using against the capital: the air-launched ballistic missile Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, the ship-launched Kalibr missiles, guided Kh-101/Kh-102 missiles, S-400 missile systems, the 9K720 Iskander and Iranian Shahed drones.

“Attention, air raid alert. Proceed to the nearest shelter. Don’t be careless, your overconfidence is your weakness.”

— Air Alert app, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of Star Wars

The air defence of Kyiv consists of several different systems. The American Avenger Air Defense System, German Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard, American MIM-23 Hawks, American-Norwegian NASAMS, Franco-Italian SAMP/T, European IRIS-T SLM and TRML-4D radars.