The battle of Okhtyrka was a

military engagement A military engagement is a combat between two forces, neither larger than a division nor smaller than a company, in which each has an assignor perceived mission. An engagement begins when the attacking force initiates combat in pursuit of its mis ...

in and around

Okhtyrka Okhtyrka ( uk, Охти́рка, ) is a city located in the Sumy Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance. The city has also served as the administrative center of the smaller Okhtyrka R ...

city in

Sumy Oblast Sumy Oblast ( uk, Сумська́ о́бласть, translit=Sumska oblast; also referred to as Sumshchyna – uk, Су́мщина) is an oblast (province) in the northeastern part of Ukraine. Population: The oblast was created in its most r ...

of Ukraine. It began on 24 February 2022, as part of the

Northeastern Ukraine offensive The northeastern Ukraine campaign was a theatre of operation from 24 February to 8 April 2022 in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of two provinces (oblasts) in Ukraine — Chernihiv Oblast and Sumy Oblast. On 4 April 2022, Ukra ...

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 ...

. Fighting began in the outskirts of the city as Russian forces attempted to occupy the city. The initial advance was repelled, and the city was attacked by artillery fire. On March 26, 2022, it was reported that the strategic stronghold of Trostianets was taken back by Ukrainian Forces. This disrupted Russian communications and supply routes, threatening the Russian front. The Russian offensive has been criticized for civilian casualties and the use of

cluster bombs A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicl ...

, which may constitute war crimes.

Battle

On the morning of 24 February, Russian forces entered

from Russia, with fighting beginning at 07:30 at the nearby village of

Velyka Pysarivka Velyka Pysarivka ( uk, Велика Писарівка, russian: Великая Писаревка) is an urban-type settlement in Sumy Oblast, northeastern Ukraine. It was formerly the administrative center of Velyka Pysarivka Raion, but is now a ...

. Russian forces were unable to occupy Okhtyrka, and retreated the following day, leaving behind tanks and equipment. On 25 February,

BM-27 Uragan The BM-27 Uragan (russian: БМ-27 Ураган, lit=Hurricane; GRAU index 9P140) is a self-propelled 220 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, and wa ...

missiles hit a pre-school in Okhtyrka. The missiles killed a child and two adults. The missiles were allegedly

, whose use may constitute a war crime, according to

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

. Ukrainian officials also claim that Russian forces shot at a civilian bus near Okhtyrka.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi Dmytro Oleksiyovych Zhyvytskyi ( uk, Дмитро Олексійович Живицький; born on 17 September 1982), is a Ukrainian politician, entrepreneur, public figure, and civil servant who has been the Governor of Sumy Oblast since ...

, the

governor of Sumy Oblast The Governor of Sumy Oblast is the Chief of Local State Administration (Ukraine), head of executive branch for the Sumy Oblast. The office of Governor is an appointed position, with officeholders being appointed by the President of Ukraine, on r ...

, stated that three other civilians had been killed in the city. On 26 February, two

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

journalists were wounded when their car was shot at by unknown forces. On 27 February, Ukrainian forces allegedly destroyed Russian tanks attempting to capture the nearby town of Trostianets. The mayor of the town later stated, "Russians, Welcome to Hell! Fuck you, not Ukraine! Trostianets, and all over Ukraine! We will win!". According to Zhyvytskyi, during the day's fighting Russian soldiers and civilians were killed. On 28 February, Russian forces bombed and destroyed an oil depot in Okhtyrka. Also more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed when a military base in Okhtyrka was hit by a Russian

thermobaric bomb A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, a vacuum bomb or a fuel air explosive (FAE), is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. The fuel–air explosive is one of the be ...

, local officials said. On 3 March, Zhyvytskyi claimed that a Russian airstrike on the local combined heat and power station had cut off the city's electricity and heating supply. www.ukrinform.netbr>Okhtyrka town being bombed day and night
In the early morning of 10 March, Zhyvytskyi stated that Okhtyrka was being constantly bombed, destroying the city's infrastructure including the

sewage system Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff (stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scree ...

and

water supply network A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – source ...

. On 14 March, Pavlo Kuzmenko, the mayor of Okhtyrka, stated that at least three civilians had been killed in a Russian airstrike that struck a residential area. By 26 March, Russian forces withdrew from Okhtyrka.

Vacuum bomb

On 28 February,

Oksana Markarova Oksana Serhiyivna Markarova ( uk, Оксана Сергіївна Маркарова; born 28 October 1976) is a Ukrainian politician and the current Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States since February 2021. Markarova is also a former Mini ...

, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, stated that Russian forces used a

thermobaric (vacuum) bomb A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, a vacuum bomb or a fuel air explosive (FAE), is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. The fuel–air explosive is one of the ...

in Okhtyrka. International law does not prohibit the use of thermobaric munitions, fuel-air explosive devices, or vacuum bombs against military targets. Their use against civilian populations may be banned by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(UN)

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons The United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW or CCWC), concluded at Geneva on October 10, 1980, and entered into force in December 1983, seeks to prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons which are consid ...

(CCW). Markarova claimed that the use of thermobaric weapons is in violation of the

Geneva Conventions upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...

. The attack destroyed a Ukrainian military base, killing 70 soldiers. Okhtyrka City Council after Russian invasion, 14 April 2022.jpg, Okhtyrka City Council after the battle Okhtyrka after Russian shelling, 2 March 2022.webm, Okhtyrka after Russian shelling, 2 March 2022 Російські війська убили дітей в Охтирці.jpg, The Russian shelling of a kindergarten resulted in 8 deaths Okhtyrka heat and power plant after Russian shelling, 4 March 2022 (3).jpg, The Okhtyrka Heat and Power Plant after Russian shelling

References

{{2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

History of Sumy Oblast Northeastern Ukraine campaign February 2022 events in Ukraine March 2022 events in Ukraine Okhtyrka