This is a timeline of the

war in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

for the year 2022. On 24 February 2022, the war in Donbas escalated into 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 ...

and the Battle of Donbas.

January

* 1 January: The law "On the foundations of national resistance" came into force in Ukraine. It established a number of measures dealing with civilian mobilization and resistance in the case of external aggression. The leading role of the movement would be carried out by the commander of the

Special Operations Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. A Ukrainian soldier, injured on 27 December 2021, died of wounds at a military hospital in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported six pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire, one of them an unauthorized drone flight over Ukrainian positions. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. In the eastern area of operations, Pisky became the target of 73 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles and

82 mm mortars 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

. Novomykhailivka was hit by heavy machine gun fire, automatic grenade launchers and 82 mm mortars. Ukrainian troops at Bohdanivka were harassed with small arms fire. In the northern front, Ukrainian redoubts at Stanytsia Luhanska were hit by VOG-17 grenades fired from a pro-Russian drone. Small arms fire was reported at Krymske. * 10 January: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center recorded two pro-Russian attacks on their positions, both of them in the area of Pisky, in the eastern front. Two Ukrainian servicemen died after the explosion of landmines while on a mission within the buffer zone. Pisky received fire from small arms, heavy machine guns and 73 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles. * 11 January: One Ukrainian soldier was killed while fighting pro-Russian forces. A single pro-Russian attack on Ukrainian troops was reported by the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, when Ukrainian redoubts at Novotoshkivke, in the northern area of operations, were hit by small arms and heavy machine gun fire. * 12 January: The press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces recorded three pro-Russian violations of the truce; one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. In the eastern area of operations, Prychepylivka became the target of

anti-tank rocket Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...

launchers and 73 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles on two occasions. In the northern front, 120 mm mortar volleys landed in Novozvanivka. * 22 January: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported four pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire, all of them in the eastern area of operations. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. The village of Maisk was shelled twice with automatic grenade launchers. Vodiane became the target of anti-tank rocket launchers and 82 mm mortars; later in the day, a pro-Russian drone launched a strike on Ukrainian positions by firing a VOG-17 rocket. * 23 January: According to the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, pro-Russian forces launched ten attacks on their positions along the demarcation line. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. In the eastern area of operations, the stronghold of Vodiane was hit by the combined fire of 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, as well as different types of grenades and rockets. In Prichepilivka, Ukrainian positions were pounded by heavy machine gun fire and anti-tank rockets. On the northern front, Novozvanivka was hit by a 122 mm artillery barrage, while Ukrainian redoubts at Popasna became the target of heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and 120 mm mortars. Ukrainian troops at Katerinivka were harassed with small arms fire and different types of grenades and rockets. * 25 January: The press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces recorded five pro-Russian violations of the truce; two Ukrainian soldiers was wounded in action, one of them seriously. Ukrainian forces returned fire. All the incidents took place in the eastern area of operations. Ukrainian redoubts at Pyshchevik were hit by a drone strike with VOG-17 rockets.

Avdiivka Avdiivka (, , is a city of regional significance in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. The city is in the center of the region, just north of the city of Donetsk. The large Avdiivka Coke Plant is located in Avdiivka. The city's population is officially ...

received fire from heavy machine guns and 73 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles. Marinka was hit by small arms fire and antitank rockets, while Ukrainian troops at

Shyrokyne , settlement_type = Village , image_skyline = Shirokino 2007.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_alt = , image_shield = Герб Шир ...

were harassed with small arms and heavy machine gun fire. * 27 January: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported two pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire. In the eastern area of operations, Ukrainian troops at Marinka were harassed with small arms fire. In the northern front, Ukrainian forces fend off a pro-Russian attempt to infiltrate a special forces group through the demarcation line.

February

* 2 February: The press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces recorded four pro-Russian violations of the truce; a Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. The incidents took place in the eastern area of operations. A Ukrainian checkpoint at

Hnutove Hnutove ( uk, Гнутове; russian: link=no, Гнутово) is a village in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at 23,2 km northeast from the centre of Mariupol. The village is situated on the left bank of the Kalmius river that became ...

was the subject of a drone strike; a VOG-17 grenade exploded beside the outpost. Ukrainian positions at Vodiane came under fire from heavy machine guns, anti-tank rocket launchers and 82 mm mortars.

Talakivka Talakivka ( uk, Талаківка; russian: link=no, Талаковка) is an urban-type settlement in Mariupol Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located south-southwest from the centre of Donetsk city, at a distance of north fr ...

was shelled with automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank rocket launchers, while Vodiane was hit by anti-tank rockets. * 5 February: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported six pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire; two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded. All the incidents occurred in the eastern area of operations. Pro-Russian forces launched an attack with two drones on the Ukrainian stronghold of

Pavlopil Pavlopil ( uk, Павлопіль; russian: link=no, Павлополь) is a village in Mariupol Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 25 km NW from Novoazovsk and about 25 km NE from Mariupol, on the left ...

; the unmanned aircraft fired four VOG-17 grenades at downtown, hitting a school building. Ukrainian troops at Pyshchevyk received fire from anti-tank rocket launchers, automatic grenade launchers and small arms. The village of Berezove was attacked with automatic grenade launchers and small arms; small arms fire was also reported at Pisky. Pro-Russian sources from Donetsk denounced six Ukrainian attacks on their military positions. Ukrainian forces fired different grenade-launcher systems and 120 mm mortars at Novoshyrokivske and Sosnovskoye, in the region of Mariupol, and, in the outskirts of Donetsk city, at Spartak and Donetsk itself. A garage and several civilian vehicles were damaged. * 8 February: According to the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, pro-Russian forces launched three attacks on their positions along the demarcation line, two of them in the eastern area of operations.

Nevelske Nevelske ( uk, Невельське; russian: link=no, Невельское) is a settlement in Yasynuvata Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 25 km WNW from the centre of Donetsk city. The War in Donbass, that ...

became the target of a drone strike; the uncrewed aircraft fired a VOG-17 grenade at Ukrainian positions. Pisky was hit by anti-tank rockets. In the northern front, Ukrainian troops at

Svitlodarsk Svitlodarsk (, ; ) is a city of district significance in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. The city's population is . It is an industrial town, built as the home for the Vuhlehirska power station. In the War in Donbas (tha ...

received fire from small arms and anti-tank rocket launchers. * 10 February: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported eight pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire. In the eastern area of operations,

Taramchuk Taramchuk ( uk, Тарамчук; russian: link=no, Тарамчук) is a village in Marinka Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at 33.9 km SW from the centre of Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, tran ...

was hit by three VOG-17 grenades fired by a pro-Russian drone. Pisky, meanwhile, became the target of different grenade-launcher systems. Ukrainian troops at Hranitne were harassed with heavy machine guns, and small arms fire was reported at nearby Vodiane. In the northern front, Zaitseve received fire from infantry weapons, automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank rocket launchers. Positions at

Popasna Popasna (, rus, Попасная, r=Popasnaya) is a ruined city in the Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. In 2013, it had almost 22,000 inhabitants. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Popasna Raion. In 20 ...

were hit by small arms and heavy machine gun fire. * 13 February:

OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

started evacuating its staff from

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...

city. * 15 February: In Moscow, the

State Duma The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...

approved a motion to ask President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

the recognition of the independence of the separatist republics in Ukraine, with 351 positive votes, 16 negatives and one abstention. According to the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, pro-Russian forces launched four attacks on their positions along the demarcation line, all of them in the northern front. The village of Katerynivka was hit by anti-tank guided missiles. Orikhove was shelled with anti-tank rocket launchers and 120 mm mortars; Stanytsia Luhanska received fire from 82 mm mortars. Lobacheve became the target of anti-tank rockets. Pro-Russian forces returned fire using artillery. * 16 February: The main federal investigation agency of Russia, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, claimed to have seen evidence that "'thousands of Russian-speaking civilians' had been killed by Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region". They accused the Ukrainian military of "using lethal weapons of indiscriminate action designed to eliminate people and infrastructure as effectively as possible." Experts said that the claims were propaganda "to justify ussia'sincreasing military build-up on the Ukraine border." * 17 February: The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported to the press that pro-Russian forces had broken the ceasefire on 60 occasions, most of them involving the use of heavy artillery and mortars. In the main incidents in the northern front, residential areas of Stanytsia Luhanska were hit by thirty-two 122 mm artillery rounds. Most of the city was left without power, while a kindergarten was damaged and three civilians were wounded. Novotoshkivke was shelled three times with anti-tank rocket launchers, 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery. Pro-Russian

tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine ...

opened fire on Ukrainian redoubts at Troitske, supported by 82 mm and 120 mm mortars. Luhansk became the target of 120 mm mortars and 122 mm heavy artillery. In the eastern area of operations, a 152 mm artillery barrage hit Prichepilivka, while antitank guided missiles were fired at Novoselivka. Avdiivka and Nevelske received fire from 120 mm mortars. Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces accused each other of firing across the ceasefire line, "raising alarm at a time when Western countries have warned of the possibility of a Russian invasion any day. The details of the incidents could not be independently confirmed, and the initial reports suggested they were on a similar scale to ceasefire violations that have been common throughout the eight year conflict."

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

(OSCE) monitors had recorded "multiple shelling incidents along the line of contact" and 870 ceasefire violations. * 18 February: The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic,

Denis Pushilin Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...

, announced a massive evacuation of civilians to Rostov Oblast, Russia, amid the deteriorating security situation in the region. A similar operation was also announced by the head of the self-styled Luhansk People Republic, Leonid Pasechnik. * 19 February: The leaders of the breakaway republics in Donbas declared

general mobilisation Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and t ...

and ordered women and children to evacuate to Russia. Russian intelligence service FSB said that two Ukrainian shells landed on Russian territory. Ukrainian military sources said that the pictures of shells were faked and that "mercenaries had arrived in separatist-held eastern Ukraine to stage provocations in collaboration with Russian special forces." The Ukrainian Joint Forces press center reported 136 pro-Russian violations of the ceasefire, 116 of them using weapons banned by the Minsk agreements. Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed by separatist artillery fire and four others were wounded. In the main incidents, in the eastern front, Marinka came under fire four times, being the target of 120 mm mortars and anti-tank guided missiles. Novotroitske was pounded on six different occasions with automatic grenade launchers, 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery. Starohnativka was shelled four times with 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars, 122 mm and 152 mm artillery. Novohnativka received fire on three occasions from 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery. In the northern front, pro-Russian tanks engaged Ukrainian positions around Stanytsia Luhanska four times, supported by 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery. Krymske was the subject of five attacks using heavy machine guns, anti-tank rocket launchers, 73 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles, 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery. Shchastya was the target, on five occasions, of heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and 82 mm mortars. Zaitseve received fire three times from 120 mm mortars and 152 mm artillery. * 20 February: The Ukrainian defense ministry reported a total of 116 ceasefire violations by Russian occupation forces with heavy shelling, including incidents involving weapons banned by the

Minsk agreements The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. The first, known ...

. Some residents of the separatist-controlled areas told CNN reporters of heavy shelling, its origin unclear. Russian authorities said that 40,000 people were evacuated to Russia, a number CNN was not able to verify independently. A

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...

convoy was caught in crossfire at the

Shchastia Shchastia ( uk, Ща́стя, lit=Happiness, translit=Shchastia, ; russian: Сча́стье) is a city in the Shchastia Raion of the Luhansk Oblast (province) in Ukraine. Population: The Luhansk power station, a large powerplant built in the 1 ...

crossing point for international humanitarian organizations. * 21 February: After a formal petition from the breakaway republics, Vladimir Putin signed the State Duma motion recognising the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. Two Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed by shelling in the village of Zaitseve, 30 km north of Donetsk. * 23 February: Ukraine started drafting reservists aged 18–60 after the president's order. * 24 February: Russia invades Ukraine with bombings and troops crossing borders. By noon several targets in different locations had been bombed, civilians and military personnel/hardware from both sides were killed and injured.

References

External links

Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
(in Ukrainian, Russian, and English) * Oleksandra Vagner

RFE/RL Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

. 11 August 2021 * Peter Dickinson. ttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/is-ukraines-split-from-russia-now-irreversible/ Is Ukraine’s split from Russia now irreversible?

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...

. 23 August 2021
WEAPONS OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE A three-year investigation of weapon supplies into Donetsk and Luhansk

Conflict Armament Research Conflict Armament Research (CAR) is a UK-based investigative organization that tracks the supply of conventional weapons, ammunition, and related military materiel (such as IEDs) into conflict-affected areas. Established in 2011, CAR specialises in ...

. London, 2021, 234 pp (

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

)
Live reporting by BBC
(from 21 February 2022) {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of the war in Donbas (2022) 2022 in Ukraine

Donbas The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

Timelines of the Russo-Ukrainian War Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

January

February

See also

References

External links