Ukrainian officials also said several mass graves were discovered in Bucha after the Russian retreat. In the town of Bucha, Ukrainian officials said the Russians cruelly killed an estimated dozens of civilians, many of whom were shot in the head while their wrists were tied behind their back. Russian battalion tactical groups began to pull out of Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy back into Russia to be refitted and resupplied for the fight in the Donbas.Īs the Russians withdrew from around Kyiv, evidence of brutal atrocities started to emerge. On March 25, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced it would focus on 'fully liberating' the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. The Russians captured Berdyansk in March as they worked towards the strategic city of Mariupol. The Russians conducted the only amphibious assault of the invasion so far early on, putting troops from the Sea of Azov near the town of Berdyansk.

In the south, Russia made more progress because its supply lines ran from Crimea, where they've had a presence since 2014. 28 - March 24Ībout a week into the war, the Pentagon characterized the Russian advance in the north around Kyiv, Chernhiv and Kharkiv as 'stalled.' The Russians never made it closer than about 15 kilometers from Kyiv and stayed at this distance until retreating to focus on the Donbas. He reportedly turned down another nation's offer to evacuate him from Kyiv by saying, 'I need more ammunition, not a ride.' Feb.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started posting social media video addresses from the capital asking for help from the international community. For instance, already, the Pentagon assessed the Russians were having to expend more fuel than they had planned for in the north. From the start of the invasion, Russians faced greater resistance from Ukrainians than they had anticipated and suffered logistical setbacks.

War in ukraine 2020