Battle of Vasylkiv

Battle of Vasylkiv
Part of the Kyiv offensive (2022) and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
The ruins of a building in Vasylkiv on 5 March 2022
Date 26 February 2022 Location Vasylkiv and Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Units involved
Russian Armed Forces Russian Airborne Forces	Ukrainian Armed Forces 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade^[1] 138th Centre for Special Purposes
Casualties and losses
Per Ukraine: 2 Ilyushin Il-76 planes shot down ~350 paratroopers killed^[2]^[3]	Unknown killed, 200+ wounded^[4]

The battle of Vasylkiv was a military engagement reported to have taken place between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on 26 February 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[5]

Battle

In the early morning of 26 February, according to Ukrainian media, paratroopers of the Russian Airborne Forces began landing near the city of Vasylkiv, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Kyiv, in an attempt to secure Vasylkiv Air Base. Heavy fighting between the Russian paratroopers and Ukrainian defenders occurred in the city.^[6][7]

According to Ukrainian officials, at 01:30, a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet shot down a Russian Ilyushin Il-76, killing upwards of 250 elite Russian paratroopers with a single missile.^[8][9][10] At 03:20, a second Il-76, this one carrying over 100 paratroopers, was also allegedly shot down over the nearby city of Bila Tserkva.^[11][12][13] As of September 2022 no wreckage of the planes has been found.^[14]

The mayor of Vasylkiv, Natalia Balasynovych, stated that over 200 Ukrainians were wounded in the engagement.^[15][16] She later claimed that Ukrainian forces had repelled the assault by Russian paratroopers on the military air base near the city and the central street, with the situation in the city having calmed down.^[17][18] The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian forces patrolled the city in the morning and were searching for Russian stragglers.^[19][20]

Confirmation of the Russian Il-76 losses has yet to be produced.^[21] According to The Guardian, "no convincing public evidence has surfaced about the two downed planes, or about a drop of paratroopers in Vasylkiv".^[22]

The New York Times cited unnamed Ukrainian officials, that at least part of the attackers were sleeper cells, who, according to the mayor of Vasylkiv, Natalia Balasynovych, had bought apartments and brought their families in the month before the invasion. Ukrainian territorial defense units had not found any evidence of wrecked planes in the surrounding area.^[23]

Aftermath

February and March

In the early morning of 27 February, a Russian missile struck an oil depot in Vasylkiv, setting it ablaze.^[24] On 12 March, a Russian rocket attack destroyed the air base.^[25]

April

On 2 April 2022 the whole of Kyiv Oblast, where Vasylkiv is located in, was declared free of "invaders" by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense after Russian troops had left the area.^[26]

See also

• Battle of Antonov Airport

References

1. Свобода, Радіо (26 February 2022). "Васильків – під контролем українських військових, бої закінчуються – влада". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Radio Svoboda. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
2. "The Decisive Battle of the Russo-Ukraine War So Far: Putin's Disastrous Attempt to Capture Kyiv". 1 January 2023.
3. The Kyiv Independent [@KyivIndependent] (25 February 2022). "⚡️Second Russian Il-76 transporter downed. Ukraine's air defense near Bila Tserkva killed the second aircraft that could carry over 100 paratroopers for landing to the south of Kyiv. Source: Ukraine's State Agency for Special Communications" (Tweet). from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
4. Свобода, Радіо (26 February 2022). "Васильків: бої тривають на центральній вулиці міста – міська голова". Радіо Свобода. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
5. Tsvetkova, Maria (26 February 2022). "Kyiv braces for assault as Russia, Ukraine signal possibility of talks". Financial Post. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
6. "Окупанти намагаються висадити десант у Василькові, йдуть бої" (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. 26 February 2022. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
7. "У Василькові збили винищувач та два гвинтокрили окупантів" (in Ukrainian). UNIAN. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
8. "Помста за Луганськ 2014: біля Василькова збили ІЛ-76 із ворожими десантниками" (in Ukrainian). UNIAN. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
9. "На Донбасі збили російський вертоліт і штурмовик". portal.lviv.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 February 2022.
10. "The Decisive Battle of the Russo-Ukraine War So Far: Putin's Disastrous Attempt to Capture Kyiv". 1 January 2023.
11. The Kyiv Independent [@KyivIndependent] (25 February 2022). "⚡️Second Russian Il-76 transporter downed. Ukraine's air defense near Bila Tserkva killed the second aircraft that could carry over 100 paratroopers for landing to the south of Kyiv. Source: Ukraine's State Agency for Special Communications" (Tweet). from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
12. "US officials say 2 Russian transport planes shot down over Ukraine". Times of Israel. AP. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
13. "Sorting fact, disinformation after Russian attack on Ukraine". ABC News. Associated press. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
14. "An unexpected air-to-air battle is raging over Ukraine. Here's what we know about the losses on both sides". Insider. 5 September 2022.
15. "Mayor of town south of Kyiv speaks of heavy fighting in streets". CNN. 25 February 2022. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
16. "Vasylkiv: why this small Ukrainian town is now a big Russian target". the Guardian. 28 February 2022. from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
17. "Live updates: ICRC asked to repatriate bodies of soldiers". Associated Press. 26 February 2022. from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
18. "Russian attacks repulsed in cities, regions, leaders say". NBC News. 26 February 2022. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
19. Trofimov, Yaroslav (26 February 2022). "Russia's Assault on Ukraine Presses Forward as Street Battles Rage in Kyiv". Wall Street Journal. from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
20. "Fight for Vasylkiv ends with victory of Ukrainian Armed Forces – official". AzerNews.az. 26 February 2022. from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
21. Roblin, Sebastien (27 February 2022). "At Vasylkiv, Ukrainians Repel Russia's Paratroopers and Commandos in Frantic Night Battle". 19FortyFive. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
22. "Vasylkiv: why this small Ukrainian town is now a big Russian target". the Guardian. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
23. Gall, Carlotta (2 April 2022). "When the Russians Picked the Wrong Town to Invade". New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
24. "Russia hits Kyiv Region's Vasylkiv with cruise or ballistic missiles". Ukrinform. 27 February 2022. from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
25. "Russian rockets destroy Ukrainian airbase in Kyiv region: Interfax quoting mayor". Reuters. 12 March 2022. from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
26. Ukraine ‘retakes whole Kyiv region’ as Russia looks east, Al Jazeera (3 April 2022)