The Battle of Hostomel was a battle fought for control over the town of
Hostomel
Hostomel ( uk, Гостомель, ) is a city in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, northwest of the capital city of Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The population of the settlement is app ...
between the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
. As part of the
Kyiv offensive, the Russian forces sought control over Hostomel,
Bucha and
Irpin
Irpin ( uk, Ірпі́нь, ) is a Hero City of Ukraine located on the Irpin River in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast (province) right next to the city of Kyiv in northern Ukraine. Irpin hosts the administration of Irpin urban hromada, one of the h ...
in order to encircle and besiege the Ukrainian capital city
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
from the west.
Due to the intensity of the Kyiv offensive, the
Kyiv Oblast State Administration
The Governor of Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Губернатор Київської області, ) or officially, the Chairman of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration ( uk, Голова Київської обласної державної адміні ...
named Hostomel, along with Irpin, Bucha,
Highway M06, and
Vyshhorod
Vyshhorod ( uk, Ви́шгород) is a city in Kyiv Oblast (region) in central Ukraine, situated immediately north of Kyiv city, the national capital, and part of the Kyiv metropolitan area. It is on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper r ...
as the most dangerous places in the
Kyiv Oblast
Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...
.
Prelude
On 24 February 2022, Russian airborne forces arrived via helicopters and battled Ukrainian forces for control of the
Hostomel Airport
Antonov Airport ( uk, аеропорт «Антонов» ), also known as Hostomel (or Gostomel) Airport ( uk, аеропорт «Гостомель»), is an international cargo airport and testing facility in Ukraine, located near Hostomel, wh ...
. Ukrainian forces initially evicted the Russian airborne troops from the airport, but were soon engaged by Russian reinforcements. On 25 February 2022, the Russian forces re-captured the Hostomel Airport from the Ukrainians. As a result, the battle shifted from the airport to the nearby town as the Russian forces began to establish a foothold in Hostomel and press their advance.
Battle
25–28 February 2022
![Battle of Hostomel, 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Battle_of_Hostomel%2C_04.03.2021%2C_Stuck_Russian_BMD-4.jpg)
Following the battle of the airport, Ukrainian and Russian forces began to engage each other in and around Hostomel.
Videos posted on social media showed a Russian tank column burning in the outskirts of the town and Ukrainian
Mi-24s firing rockets at Russian positions over a residential area.
Kadyrovites
)
, patron =
, motto = Akhmad is strong!(russian: Ахмат — сила!)
, colors = A-TACS
, colors_label =
, march =
, mas ...
were reported to have moved into the outskirts of the town or into the airport in preparations to
assassinate the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The
Security Service of Ukraine
The Security Service of Ukraine ( uk, Служба безпеки України, translit=Sluzhba bezpeky Ukrainy}) or SBU ( uk, СБУ, link=no) is the law enforcement authority and main intelligence and security agency of the Ukrainian ...
reported that the Kadyrovites convoy consisted of over 250 pieces of equipment and more than 1,500 of the "best fighters of the
Chechen Republic
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
". Ukrainian intelligence stated they received these reports from elements of the
FSB who oppose the invasion.
On 26 February 2022, acting on the earlier intelligence report, Ukrainian forces intercepted and destroyed a Chechen strike group tasked with assassinating President Zelenskyy. Elsewhere, Ukrainian UAVs spotted two locations near Hostomel where the Chechen fighters were assembling. The Ukrainian National Guard and
Alpha Group
Spetsgruppa "A", also known as Alpha Group (a popular English name), or Alfa, whose official name is Directorate "A" of the FSB Special Purpose Center (TsSN FSB) (Russian: Спецназ ФСБ "Альфа"), is an elite stand-alone sub-unit o ...
later attacked those locations, destroying a column of Russian armored vehicles in the process. According to Ukrainian officials,
Magomed Tushayev
Muhammad (), also spelled Muhammed or Muhamad or Mohammad or Mohammed or Mohamed or in a variety of other ways, is an Arabic given male name literally meaning 'Praiseworthy'. The name comes from the passive participle of the Arabic verb (حَم ...
, a
Chechen General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
and head of the
141st Motorized Regiment of the
National Guard of Russia
The National Guard of the Russian Federation (russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации , translit = Federal'naya sluzhba voysk natsional'noy gvard ...
, was killed during the attack.
Ukrainian forces reported that the Kadyrovites sustained heavy casualties as a result of these attacks.
1–5 March 2022
![Battle of Hostomel, 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Battle_of_Hostomel%2C_04.03.2022%2C_Damaged_Russian_BTR-MD.jpg)
Residents of Hostomel reported constant shelling and airstrikes by Russian forces have deprived them of water, food, electricity, and medicine. The constant bombardment have also prevented the residents from receiving humanitarian aid, evacuate from the town, or even remove corpses from the street. Kadyrovites were reported operating closer to the Hostomel Airport and were robbing residents, while Russian soldiers were pressing their advance into Hostomel. Eyewitnesses reported Russian soldiers firing on an ambulance.
On 3 March 2022, Ukrainian forces engaged Russian forces in
urban combat
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and t ...
inside Hostomel.
The
(GUR MO) reported that special forces under their command and local resistance have destroyed 20 Russian BMDs (likely
BMD-2
The BMD-2 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle, introduced in 1985. It is a variant of BMD-1 with a new turret and some changes done to the hull. BMD stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Desanta'' (Боевая Машина Десанта, whic ...
and/or
BMD-4
The BMD-4 (russian: Боевая Машина Десанта-4, Boyevaya Mashina Desanta-4, en, Combat Vehicle of the Airborne) is an Amphibious vehicle, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) originating from post-Cold War Russia. Originall ...
) in Hostomel. Ten of the BMDs were destroyed at 18:30 (6:30 p.m.) near the town's glass factory. The Russian forces were ultimately repelled from the town. A video published on social medias depicting the aftermath of the urban battle showed destroyed and abandoned Russian vehicles and dead Russian soldiers sprawled across the streets.
A Ukrainian sniper killed
Major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Andrei Sukhovetsky
Andrei Aleksandrovich Sukhovetsky (russian: Андрей Александрович Суховецкий; 25 June 1974 – 28 February 2022) was a Russian Airborne Forces major general (one-star rank). He was killed in action during the 2022 Rus ...
either in Hostomel or at the Hostomel Airport. He was the deputy commander of the
41st Combined Arms Army
The 41st Combined Arms Army (russian: 41-я общевойсковая армия) is a field army of the Russian Ground Forces, currently part of the Central Military District. Originally, it was formed in 1942 as part of the Soviet Red Army, dur ...
.
On 4 March 2022, Ukrainian forces engaged Russian forces in the streets a second time, reportedly destroying a BMD and bombarding Russian forces with
BM-21 Grad
The BM-21 "Grad" (russian: БМ-21 "Град", lit= hail) is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first comba ...
rockets. Elsewhere in Hostomel, Ukrainian soldiers defeated a unit of Kadyrovites, seizing their weapons, equipment, and armored vehicle. Ukrainian forces later reported to have regained control of Hostomel from the Russian forces. Ukrainian intelligence reported that the Russian
31st Guards Air Assault Brigade suffered at least 50 dead from the battles in Hostomel. Special forces under the GUR MO, the
3rd Special Purpose Regiment, and local resistance fighters were reported to have taken part in the battle. Russian weapons, equipment, and staff and personal documents were seized by the Ukrainian military, with any usable weapons being redistributed to the local resistance. The GUR MO reported that the deceased Russian soldiers did not possess any identification documents; only vaccination certifications and blank medical books.
On the same day however, Ukrainian forces reported that Major
Valeriy Chybineyev
Valeriy Viktorovych Chybineyev ( uk, Валерій Вікторович Чибінєєв; 3 March 1988 – 3 March 2022) was a Ukrainian sniper who served as commander of the sniper company of the 79th Air Assault Brigade. He fought in the war ...
was killed near the Hostomel Airport.
Russian forces, reportedly the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade, later returned into Hostomel and occupied a residential complex, taking 40 or more residents hostage.
One journalist named Ruslan Vinichenko detailed his six-day captivity by the Russian forces inside the apartment building's basement. According to him the Russian soldiers gathered 60 people (including himself) into the basement and were doing similar actions with 90 people in a neighboring apartment complex, confiscated and destroyed their phones, looted their apartments, and
spread false information about state of the war, such as Russian forces capturing Kyiv and Odessa. The only time residents were allowed to leave the basement was to either smoke or collect water. On March 10, the day of his escape, Vinichenko stated that Russian soldiers announced they were gathering the residents to move to Belarus. He tried to convince the rest of the residents to escape with him, but they were too distraught to move out. Vinichenko grabbed his girlfriend and escaped the town after a passing motorist picked them up. Three Russian soldiers saw what they were doing but did not bother to stop them.
On 5 March 2022, Russian forces captured Hostomel and prevented civilians from evacuating the town.
Ukrainian resistance
On 7 March 2022, the mayor of Hostomel, Yuri Prylypko, along with several other volunteers, were killed by Russian troops while distributing food and medicine to residents. His body was reportedly
booby trapped by Russian forces. When the local priest came to pick up his body, a sympathetic Russian soldier stopped the priest from getting close, disarmed the trap, and helped load the mayor's body onto a wheelbarrow to be transported away. Yuri was buried near the local church with honors. At some point, Ukrainian forces recaptured some parts of Hostomel. Russian forces responded by deploying two
Battalion tactical group
A battalion tactical group (russian: Батальонная тактическая группа, ''batal'onnaya takticheskaya gruppa''), abbreviated as BTG, is a combined-arms manoeuvre unit deployed by the Russian Army that is kept at a high lev ...
s to Hostomel in preparations for an offensive.
On 8 March 2022, Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian night offensive in Hostomel. It was announced that Ukrainian forces were preparing a large-scale evacuation and humanitarian aid delivery for the residents of Hostomel. The next day, Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale evacuation across
Kyiv Oblast
Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...
, including in Hostomel. Up to 20,000 civilians were evacuated in the Kyiv Oblast. The evacuation continued into the next day.
On 11 March 2022, residents reported that Russian forces controlled most of Hostomel, making it extremely difficult for civilians to evacuate from the town or receive humanitarian aid. Russian military equipment were moved to the town center and residential areas, while Russian supplies were being delivered via helicopters. Eyewitnesses also reported Kadyrovites roaming around Hostomel and executing civilians for trivial reasons. Still, buses were able to successfully evacuate from the town on 12 March 2022.
On 13 March 2022, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian forces attempting to cross a river outside Hostomel using a
pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses float (nautical), floats or shallow-draft (hull), draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maxi ...
. The bridge and several Russian vehicles were destroyed.
On 14 March 2022,
Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov ce, КъадаргӀеран Ахьмат-кӏант Рамзан, translit= (born 5 October 1976) is a Russian politician who currently serves as the Head of the Chechen Republic. He was formerly affiliated to the ...
, head of the Chechen Republic, claimed to have entered Hostomel. The claim could not be verified at the time of announcement but was met with doubt due to his announcement being broadcast by Russian state medias. Presidential advisor
Oleksiy Arestovych
Oleksii Mykolaiovych Arestovych ( uk, Олексій Миколайович Арестович; born 3 August 1975) is a Ukrainian intelligence officer, blogger, actor, political and military columnist, and propagandist. He was a speaker of th ...
also doubted Kadyrov's claim due to information of Kadyrov being seen in
Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...
the day before his announcement. During the day, two civilian evacuations were carried in Hostomel. The first column of 10 buses successfully evacuated mothers, children, the elderly, and the disabled out of Hostomel. The second column of four buses were shelled by Russian
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...
. One woman was killed and two men were injured from the attack.
On 16 March 2022, Ukrainian forces launched a series of
counter offensive against Russian forces around Kyiv, including some villages near Hostomel. According to Andriy Nebitov, the head of the Kyiv region police, Ukrainian forces were able to break through Russian positions after conducting artillery strikes. He further claimed the counterattack disrupted the Russian forces' plan to attack Kyiv directly.
Russian forces withdrawal
On 1 April 2022,
Oleksandr Pavlyuk
Oleksandr Oleksiyovych Pavlyuk (Ukrainian: Олександр Олексійович Павлюк; born 20 August 1970) is a Ukrainian General. He was a participant of the war in Donbas and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 14 February 20 ...
, the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, claimed that Russian forces had left Hostomel. On 2 April 2022, the whole of
Kyiv Oblast
Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...
, where Hostomel is located in, was declared free of Russian Military by the
Ukrainian Ministry of Defense
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
after Russian troops had left the area.
On 28 September 2022, the
Prosecutor General of Ukraine
The prosecutor general of Ukraine (also procurator general of Ukraine, uk, Генеральний прокурор України) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General ( uk, Офіс ...
and
National Police of Ukraine
The National Police of Ukraine ( uk, Націона́льна полі́ція Украї́ни, translit=Natsionálʹna polítsiya Ukrayíny, ; , NPU), often simply referred to as the ( uk, Поліція, lit=Police, label=none), is the nation ...
published
CCTV
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...
footage showing
OMON
OMON (russian: ОМОН – Отряд Мобильный Особого Назначения , translit = Otryad Mobil'nyy Osobogo Naznacheniya , translation = Special Purpose Mobile Unit, , previously ru , Отряд Милиции Осо ...
and
Rosgvardiya
The National Guard of the Russian Federation (russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации , translit = Federal'naya sluzhba voysk natsional'noy gvard ...
soldiers shooting at civilians in Hostomel during the battle.
References
{{coord missing, Ukraine
Hostomel
Hostomel ( uk, Гостомель, ) is a city in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, northwest of the capital city of Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The population of the settlement is app ...
Kyiv offensive (2022)
History of Kyiv Oblast
February 2022 events in Ukraine
March 2022 events in Ukraine