Updates on the world’s nations and borders
The next is a chronology of adjustments to territorial management and different main occasions since our final map report on insurgent management in Donetsk and Luhansk on September 29, 2020, with a concentrate on the occasions main as much as and through the full-scale Russian invasion of February 2022.
Terminology notes: On our map and timeline we’ve got typically spelled place names inside Ukraine primarily based on the Ukrainian-language variations, since Ukrainian is the nation’s official language. Many locations even have an alternate identify primarily based on the Russian language, which can also be spoken in Ukraine. Now we have made exceptions for some locations with well-established English names, corresponding to Odessa and the Dnieper River.
Within the case of the Luhansk/Lugansk, PolGeoNow makes use of the Ukrainian spelling (“Luhansk”) for the province of Ukraine, and the Russian spelling (“Lugansk”) for the self-proclaimed Lugansk Individuals’s Republic, whose official language is Russian. For Ukraine’s capital metropolis, traditionally recognized in English by its Russian identify, Kiev, we’ve got used the Ukrainian model, Kyiv with a purpose to conform to each our personal conference and the rising consensus amongst information media.
Ukraine’s administrative subdivisions are referred to as “provinces” in our timeline, but it surely’s additionally frequent to listen to them known as “areas”, or by the Ukrainian-language time period, “oblasts”. Province names haven’t been labelled on the above map, as a result of each province talked about within the timeline shares a reputation with a significant metropolis that already seems there.
Western students and historians typically dispute that NATO made any formal pledges. In 1990, US Secretary of State James Baker had instructed Soviet chief Mikhail Gorbachev that “NATO won’t transfer one inch additional east.” On the time, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl additionally instructed Gorbachev that “naturally NATO couldn’t increase its territory to the present territory of” Soviet-backed East Germany. Then-US President George H.W. Bush reportedly thought each Baker and Kohl had gone too far, however NATO’s then-secretary normal additionally pledged that NATO wouldn’t lengthen previous the territory of East Germany.
After that, Russia and the Western nations reached an settlement that will permit NATO to station its troops in reunified Germany solely, whereas additional eastward enlargement was thought-about inconceivable on the time. Western researchers level out that the pledges made on the time weren’t formal, solely verbal, and that it was a time when the Soviet Union nonetheless existed and its fall couldn’t but be predicted. Years later, Gorbachev defined that the Baker comment was being taken out of context and that the subject of the dialogue was that NATO’s army constructions and forces wouldn’t be deployed on the territory of the previous East Germany after Germany’s reunification. Nevertheless, Gorbachev did state that what unfolded after 1990, with extra nations becoming a member of NATO, was “a violation of the spirit of the statements and assurances made to us in 1990”.
Additional, declassified paperwork from 2017 confirmed that a number of nationwide leaders in 1990 and 1991 at first rejected Central and Jap European membership in NATO, and that dialogue of NATO through the German unification negotiations weren’t narrowly restricted to the standing of East Germany.
December 31, 2021
It was reported that 79 Ukrainian troopers had been killed throughout 2021, together with three in December. Compared, 70 DPR fighters and 7 civilians residing in DPR-held territories have been reported to have killed through the yr.
January 3, 2022
US President Biden reassured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the USA and its allies would “reply decisively” if Russia invaded Ukraine. The implication was that the US would reply with sturdy financial punishments or different sanctions, having already dominated out sending troops to immediately fight any Russian invasion. Many worry {that a} direct warfare between the US and Russia may result in a world warfare involving nuclear weapons – each nations see themselves as army superpowers and preserve giant arsenals of nuclear missiles.
January 7, 2022
The US and NATO once more rejected Russia’s demand to vow a halt to NATO’s enlargement.
January 19, 2022
President Biden acknowledged that he anticipated Russia to invade Ukraine.
January 26-28, 2022
The US and NATO but once more rejected Russia’s demand to finish NATO’s enlargement, however mentioned they supplied a “critical diplomatic path” ahead, whereas President Biden warned Ukraine that there was a “distinct risk” Russia may invade the nation in February. Two days later, Russia acknowledged that its safety issues have been being ignored. It was revealed that the USA and NATO had supplied Russia disarmament measures, together with permitting it to substantiate the absence of missiles in NATO member nations Romania and Bulgaria.
January 31, 2022
On the United Nations (UN) Safety Council, Russia accused the West of “whipping up tensions” relating to Ukraine and mentioned the USA had introduced “pure Nazis” to energy within the nation’s authorities. Neo-Nazi ideologies are recognized to have gained followers in Ukraine lately, with many such followers thought to have infiltrated the nation’s army and police. Nevertheless, the concept that these parts are in charge of the nation is just not thought-about credible by many exterior observers – Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is even Jewish, with relations who have been killed by the unique Nazis in the Holocaust.
February 2, 2022
It was introduced that the USA would ship 2,000 troops to Europe, stationing them in Germany and Poland, whereas 1,000 troops would transfer from Germany to Romania. The US already had about 60,000 troopers stationed in Europe presently, together with in Poland and Germany.
February 3, 2022
The US shared new intelligence that it mentioned confirmed Russia was planning a pretext to invade Ukraine.
February 6-12, 2022
1000’s of Russian troops have been deployed to Belarus – simply north of Ukraine – for army workout routines (Belarus is a shut ally of Russia). The USA estimated that 30,000 can be current for the drills. The joint drills with the Belarusian army began on February 10. On the similar time, the Russian army was getting ready for naval drills within the Black Sea, whereas Ukraine accused Russia of a naval blockade. The large-scale naval drills began on February 12.
February 7, 2022
It was introduced that the United Kingdom (UK) would ship 350 troops to Poland, whereas Germany would ship 350 troops to Lithuania, one of many Baltic NATO member nations bordering northern Russia.
February 11, 2022
It was introduced that the US would ship a further 3,000 troops to Poland, whereas President Biden acknowledged that Russia may invade Ukraine on February 16.
February 15, 2022
The Russian parliament voted to ask President Vladimir Putin to formally acknowledge the Donetsk Individuals’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk Individuals’s Republic (LPR) as unbiased nations. Each would-be nations been declared unbiased from Ukraine in 2014, after Russia-backed rebels captured a lot of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, however thus far no UN member nation, even their ally Russia, had formally acknowledged them as unbiased.
In the meantime, the LPR reported that considered one of its Russian volunteer troopers was killed by a Ukrainian sniper on the frontline in Donbass. Individually, Russia acknowledged that it was conducting a partial withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine’s border.
February 15-17, 2022
President Biden mentioned that 150,000 Russian troops had amassed alongside Ukraine’s border. It was reported two days later that one other 7,000 arrived.
February 16, 2022
The UK introduced that it will double its variety of its troops in Estonia, one other of the Baltic NATO member nations.
February 18, 2022
The DPR and the LPR introduced a “mass evacuation” of civilians into Russia, accusing the Ukrainian authorities of planning a brand new assault on their territories. Many residents of the 2 areas had been given Russian citizenship and passports since 2019. In the meantime, it was reported that the variety of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border had reached 190,000.
February 20, 2022
Because the joint army workout routines between Russia and Belarus have been supposed to finish, it was introduced that Russian troops would stay in Belarus and the drills can be prolonged as a result of deteriorating relations with Ukraine. Moreover, it was mentioned the 30,000 Russian troops would stay in Belarus indefinitely.
February 20-23, 2022
Shelling alongside the frontline between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists left six Ukrainian troopers useless. General, 9 Ukrainian troopers had been killed on the frontline because the begin of the yr.
February 21-22, 2022
President Putin signed a presidential decree formally recognizing the DPR and LPR as nations unbiased of Ukraine. Agreements have been additionally reached giving Russia permission to construct army bases within the DPR and LPR – a significant change from the earlier standing of the territories, which have been nonetheless thought-about a part of Ukraine by a lot of the remainder of the world. Syria, in addition to Yemen’s internationally-unrecognized Houthi authorities, mentioned they supported Russia in its choice to acknowledge the independence of the DPR and LPR, with Belarus, the Central African Republic, Nicaragua, and Venezuela becoming a member of in. As of the date of this report, none of those nations apart from Russia was confirmed to have formally prolonged its personal recognition. The next day, the US, UK, and European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Russian banks, lawmakers, and different outstanding people.
February 22, 2022
It was introduced that the US would ship 800 extra troops to the Baltic nations.
February 23, 2022
The federal government of Canada, additionally a NATO member, introduced that it will ship 460 extra troops to jap Europe. In the meantime, the DPR and LPR, primarily based on their new standing as unbiased nations in line with Russia, requested the Russian authorities for army help.
February 24, 2022
President Putin declared the beginning of a Russian army operation in Ukraine, with its purported goal being the “demilitarization and de-nazification of Ukraine”.
Russian troops entered Ukraine from the north, east, and south. Within the north, Russian floor forces superior 5 kilometers (three miles) into Ukraine in Kharkiv and Chernihiv provinces, in addition to on the former Chernobyl nuclear energy plant. Following a helicopter assault, Russian forces additionally took management of a significant worldwide cargo airport within the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel (25 kilometers, or 15 miles, from the capital). In addition they captured Sumy, a provincial capital within the north.
Within the east, Russian troops seized two villages in Luhansk province as they reportedly superior between six and eight kilometers (4 and 5 miles) past the DPR and LPR’s earlier limits of management. The Russian army additionally entered the Luhansk area from Russia by way of three instructions, capturing a number of villages.
And within the south, Russian forces superior northwards from the already Russian-controlled Crimea peninsula (which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014), capturing two cities, a bridge, and a hydroelectric plant close to Kherson. In addition they reached Kherson’s provincial capital, thus bringing a number of elements of the province below their management, together with the North Crimean Canal, which connects the Crimea peninsula to the Dnieper River. As well as, Russian forces captured Snake Island within the Black Sea, off the coast of Ukraine. Russia was mentioned to be primarily focusing on army infrastructure and silos.
In the night, heavy city combating erupted in Sumy, whereas counter-attacking Ukrainian forces recaptured the Hostomel Airport.
The first day of combating left 137 Ukrainians useless, together with a minimum of 25 civilians. Of these killed, 18 died in a missile assault on a army base in Odessa, whereas six have been killed in a strike on a city close to Kyiv focusing on a particular forces base. 5 troopers additionally died when their army transport aircraft was shot down close to Kyiv, whereas a Russian assault helicopter was downed through the takeover of the airport. Russia additionally confirmed the lack of a Su-25 assault jet as a result of “pilot error” and a army transport aircraft with its entire crew in Russia’s Voronezh area as a result of a technical malfunction. Additional, Russia reported that two civilian vessels have been hit by Ukrainian missiles within the Sea of Azov, inflicting a number of casualties. General, in line with Russia, 83 army targets have been hit on the primary day of its operation.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US, UK, and EU imposed financial sanctions on Russia.
February 25, 2022
Within the early hours of February 25, Russian forces in Ukraine’s Sumy province surrounded the town of Konotop and continued to advance west in the direction of Ukraine’s capital metropolis, Kyiv. Within the south, they took management of Melitopol metropolis with out resistance. In the meantime, Russian “sabotage teams” have been reported to have entered Kyiv and engaged Ukrainian troops in a number of elements of the town. In the course of the morning, the Russian army superior on Kyiv from the north alongside either side of the Dnieper River, with heavy combating going down on the city of Ivankiv, round 60 km (35 miles) northwest of the capital, and shortly afterwards Russian troops have been reported to have entered Kyiv’s northern Obolon neighborhood.
The Russian army was additionally confirmed to have taken management of Hostomel Airport once more, after an air assault that was mentioned to have concerned some 200 helicopters. To the northeast of Kyiv, Chernikiv was reportedly surrounded, and Semenivka was below Russian management. Within the south, Ukrainian forces briefly recaptured a bridge at Kherson that that they had misplaced the day prior to this, earlier than the Russian army breached Kherson’s defenses and as soon as once more seized the bridge. A Russian amphibious assault was additionally mentioned to have taken place west of Mariupol.
Within the early night, a Ukrainian missile assault hit a Russian air base close to Millerovo, 16 km (9 mi) from the Ukrainian-Russian border, reportedly destroying two Su-27 fighter jets. Later, it was reported that Russian troops had been pressured out of the southern metropolis of Melitopol, however that it was surrounded and heavy combating was going down. Ukraine mentioned that it managed solely half of the town, whereas Russia reported that its personal forces have been in management there. In the meantime, Russian forces captured Konotop within the north.
The Ukrainian dying toll was reported to have risen to 194, together with 57 civilians, whereas the UK claimed that 450 Russian troopers had been killed. In the course of the day’s combating, a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet was shot down over Kyiv. Russia reported that it had disabled 211 army services because the begin of its army operations.
Within the night, the EU, UK, and Canada imposed particular person sanctions on President Vladimir Putin and his international minister, Sergey Lavrov, locking them out from any financial institution accounts or investments that they had in these nations. Later, a UN Safety Council vote blocked a decision that will have deplored Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and requested that Russia cease its assault and withdraw its forces. Eleven Safety Council members voted for the decision, however Russia vetoed it, whereas China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained from voting. As everlasting members of the Safety Council, the US, UK, France, Russia, and China every have veto energy, whereas the opposite member nations, whose membership rotates, have equal votes however no veto. Following the vote, the United States additionally sanctioned President Putin and Minister Lavrov.
February 26, 2022
Within the early hours, heavy combating erupted within the western a part of the capital close to the Kyiv Zoo and within the metropolis’s Shuliavka neighborhood, in addition to at an influence station within the northeastern Troieschyna district. Later, Ukraine claimed {that a} Russian assault on a army base on Kyiv’s Peremohy Avenue was repelled. Heavy clashes additionally occurred within the city of Vasylkiv, round 30 km (20 mi) southwest of Kyiv, as Russian airborne troops carried out an assault behind enemy strains. In keeping with Ukrainian and US officers, two Russian army transport planes have been shot down south of Kyiv, together with one at Vasylkiv.
By morning, the assault on Vasylkiv had been repelled, whereas Ukrainian forces regained management of Kyiv. Afterwards, the US and UK estimated that almost all of the advancing Russian forces have been 30 km (20 mi) from Kyiv, whereas in line with the US the models that entered the capital had been “reconnaissance parts”. Battle-tracker Suriyak claimed that the combating contained in the capital had been infighting between Ukrainian safety forces and dissident teams, in addition to clashes between not too long ago armed civilians, quite than a Russian army assault. The day prior to this, the Ukrainian authorities mentioned it had handed out 18,000 machine weapons to civilians in Kyiv.
In the meantime, Russia-allied DPR forces captured two villages east of Mariupol and superior six kilometers (4 miles), seizing seven villages north of Mariupol, whereas LPR forces superior 30 km (20 mi) northwest of Luhansk over the Donets river, seizing two villages. As well as, the LPR was confirmed to have taken management of a city northeast of Luhansk metropolis.
Farther south, combating continued within the northeast of Melitopol, whereas Russian forces superior north of the town in the direction of Zaporizhzhia. A number of hours later, Russian troops accomplished their management of Melitopol and continued to advance alongside three axes northwest, northeast, and east of Melitopol. To the northeast, Russian troops arrived in Tokmak. Farther east, Russian forces have been advancing in the direction of Mariupol and deployed on the airport in Berdyansk, whereas persevering with to advance in a northeasterly route. Combating was additionally going down for management of the remaining Ukrainian-held cities south of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
Within the night, Russian forces reportedly attacked the shipbuilding port metropolis of Mykolaiv, with Russian tanks have been shifting by way of the town. The next day, studies would assert that the town was nonetheless below Ukrainian authorities management.
Ukraine reported that 198 civilians had been killed and 1,115 injured because the begin of the invasion. Ukrainian authorities later acknowledged that 19 civilians have been killed through the day in Russian shelling in Donetsk province. In the meantime, the DPR reported 11 civilians killed by Ukrainian army fireplace within the earlier ten days throughout the territory it managed. The LPR additionally mentioned 8 civilians had been killed in its personal territory during the last eight days, all as a result of fireplace by Ukrainian troops, together with two up to now 24 hours.
February 27, 2022
Russian forces pushed into Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest metropolis, with combating erupting within the streets. Later within the day, they have been pushed out of the town and again to its outskirts. Nonetheless, they have been in a position to advance additional east of Kharkiv, by way of the countryside, in an try to hyperlink up with the LPR forces. The LPR itself was reported to have superior 52 km (32 mi) northwest of Luhansk and captured 4 cities, together with one simply south of Starobilsk. Later, forces of the DPR have been additionally reported to have superior one other six kilometers (4 miles), capturing three villages, whereas the LPR superior one other 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).
Again within the north, Russian troops reached the city of Nizhyn, on the best way from Konotop to Kyiv, and have been trying to enter it. One other Russian army column was advancing down the Sumy-Kyiv street, even whereas Russian forces have been pushing again into Sumy city itself. Later, Russian automobiles have been attacked at two places alongside the Sumi-Kyiv street, together with close to Pryluky, leading to heavy losses. Russian forces have been additionally probing different routes to Kyiv, advancing southwest of Hostomel Airport, whereas additionally they made advances within the Chernihiv space.
In the meantime, within the south, Russian forces mentioned that they had “blocked“ Kherson and Berdyansk. They then reportedly took management of a part of Kherson, together with its airport, the place a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly struck Russian automobiles. Russian surface-to-air missile methods have been additionally seen in Berdyansk. Later, it was reported that Russian forces had seized the southern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir, in addition to Tokmak and Berdyansk. A US official additionally reported that 2,000 Russian Marines had carried out an amphibious touchdown from the Sea of Azov and have been advancing on Mariupol.
Later within the night, combating continued between Ukrainian authorities and DPR forces 15 km (9 mi) north of Mariupol, with the Ukrainian army regaining one of many cities it had misplaced to the DPR the day prior to this. On the similar time, the Russian army was partaking Ukrainian forces 45 km (28 mi) west of Mariupol.
Within the night, it was confirmed that the city of Kupiansk, within the Kharkiv area, had surrendered to Russian forces.
Ukraine reported that 352 civilians had been killed and 1,684 injured because the begin of the invasion, whereas the DPR reported that 15 civilians had been killed in its territories through the earlier ten days as a result of Ukrainian army fireplace. Russia reported it had hit 1,067 army services because the begin of its army operations.
Keep tuned to PolGeoNow for extra updates to this map and timeline as occasions progress!
Revision: We modified the map’s Russian management colours from blue to inexperienced the day after publication, to keep away from confusion with water or any implication that we supposed to specific assist for Ukraine by mimicking the colours of its nationwide flag (PolGeoNow stays strictly impartial on this battle as in all others).
Graphic of the Ukrainian flag is within the public area (supply).
