Battle of Sumy

Battle of Sumy
Part of the northern Ukraine campaign of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Storage building in Sumy after shelling during Russian invasion, 18 March 2022
Date 24 February – 4 April 2022 (1 month, 1 week and 4 days) Location Sumy, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Units involved
1st Guards Tank Army	27th Artillery Brigade 81st Airmobile Brigade (February)[1] Territorial Defense Forces
Casualties and losses
Per Ukraine: 104 soldiers captured[2]	Per Ukraine: 81+ killed[3][4][5] 12+ wounded[6]
Per Ukraine: At least 100 civilians killed[7][8][9][10]

On 24 February 2022, the Russian army attempted to capture Sumy, located near the Russia–Ukraine border. Ukrainian paratroopers and territorial defense forces began engaging Russian forces within the city, resulting in heavy urban fighting and the destruction of a Russian tank column.^{[11][12][13][14]} That evening, Ukraine's paratroopers were ordered to withdraw from the city, leaving the city's defense to the a few thousand local volunteers armed with rifles, limited anti-tank weapons and no armed vehicles or heavy weaponry. After three to four days of failing to enter the city, the Russian military shifted to encircle and bypass the city, and were then subject to guerrilla ambushes.^[15]

On 4 April 2022, Governor of Sumy Oblast Dmytro Zhyvytskyi stated that Russian troops no longer occupied any towns or villages in Sumy Oblast and had mostly withdrawn, while Ukrainian troops were working to push out the remaining units.^[16]

Battle

A damaged building in Sumy on 27 February 2022

Russian units began to move into Sumy Oblast on 24 February 2022. Russian military vehicles were spotted near the villages of Bezdryk, Holovashivka [uk], and Postolne [uk] by 13:35, and Ukrainian officials announced that a battle had broken out in the city on the Bilopillia highway by 13:40.^[17][18] There was an extensive amount of urban warfare between the Ukrainian defenders and Russian forces. The first fighting took place at the northern and western entrances to the city, on Kursk avenue and Bilopillia highway, respectively. The fiercest combat took place on Kondratieva street, near the city's cadet school, where the Ukrainian 27th Artillery Brigade was stationed.^[19][1] After the clashes in the afternoon, a second round of combat began there around 22:30, with the Russians retreating from the area by 01:39 the next day.^[20] A nearby church burned down as a result of the battle.^[21] Overnight, Russian troops set up camps near the villages of Kosivshchyna [uk], Tokari [uk], and Nyzhnia Syrovatka outside of the city. ^[17]

Hundreds of policemen had been ordered to evacuate the city towards Poltava and Cherkasy early in the invasion, so during the first days of the battle, Sumy's defenders were almost entirely civilian Territorial Defence Forces units. Thousands of firearms were quickly gathered from warehouses around the city and distributed to the volunteers.^[19] The 81st Airmobile Brigade, a "small military unit", was also present in Sumy and had received instructions on 24 February to hold it at any cost.^[19][1] A few days later, the brigade was moved to Lebedyn.^[1]

On 26 February, fighting again broke out on the streets of Sumy.^[22] A Russian column passed through Yunakivka in the morning, and one of its vehicles was captured by territorial defense fighters on Kursk avenue.^[23] Russian forces were able to capture half of the city, but by the end of the day, Ukrainian forces had recaptured the entire city.^[24] Ukrainian forces also allegedly destroyed a convoy of Russian fuel trucks.^[25] Mayor Oleksandr Lysenko reported three civilian deaths on 26 February, including one killed when Russian BM-21 Grad vehicles fired missiles into Veretenivka, a residential area in the eastern part of Sumy.^[26][9]

Evacuation attempts at the destroyed building in Veretenivka

On the morning of 27 February, a column of Russian vehicles advanced into Sumy from the east.^[27] A civilian car was shot at, resulting in civilian casualties.^[7][28] Russian forces reportedly ran out of supplies and began attempting to loot markets.^[29]

A battle took place near the villages of Verkhnia Syrovatka and Nyzhnia Syrovatka on 1 March, in which five Ukrainian fighters were killed, including their commander, sergeant major Oleksandr Korzhaiev.^[19]

Bombardment

Evacuation attempts by bus via "green corridors"

On 3 March, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, governor of Sumy Oblast, stated that five people were injured from shelling on buildings of the 27th Artillery Brigade and the military department at Sumy State University.^[30] More than 500 international students were trapped since roads and bridges out of the city had been destroyed and fighting was reported in the streets of Sumy.^[31]

Zhyvytskyi stated on 8 March that 22 civilians and four soldiers were killed overnight due to a Russian airstrike hitting a residential area.^[32] An evacuation of civilians from the city began during the day under an agreement for a humanitarian corridor reached with Russia. Zhyvytskyi later stated that about 5,000 people were evacuated during the day.^[33][34]

Russian prisoners of war captured during the battle

On 21 March, an airstrike damaged a fertilizer factory in Sumy, leaking out ammonia and contaminating the surrounding ground.^[35] Russia denied that it was responsible and instead suggested the incident was a false flag operation by Ukraine.^[36]

On 4 April 2022, Governor Zhyvytskyi declared that Russian troops no longer occupied any towns or villages in Sumy Oblast and had mostly withdrawn.^[16] According to Zhyvytskyi, Ukrainian troops were working to push out the remaining units.^[16] On 8 April 2022, he stated that all Russians troops had left Sumy Oblast, but it was still unsafe due to rigged explosives and other ammunition Russian troops had left behind.^[37]

Aftermath

Main article: Northern Ukraine skirmishes (2022–present)

Despite Russian forces withdrawing fully from Sumy Oblast by early April, airstrikes continued throughout April and May.^{[citation needed]}

In mid-May, Russian troops made numerous attempted border crossings in the Sumy area.^[38] On 17 May, 5 civilians were wounded by Russian shelling in Sumy Oblast.^[39] Shelling of the region from Russia continued for the remainder of the year.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Siege of Chernihiv
• Battle of Kyiv (2022)
• Russian occupation of Sumy Oblast

References

1. Крахматова, Діана; Члек, Крістіна (28 January 2023). ""Втримати Суми за будь-яку ціну". Як бійці 81-ї бригади розбили росіян під колишнім артучилищем". Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
2. "More than 100 Russian servicemen taken prisoner in Sumy region". Ukrinform. 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
3. "Зеленський підписав указ про загальну мобілізацію". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
4. Христенко, Лілія (27 February 2022). "У результаті бойових дій загинули два захисники з Білопілля. Про це 27 лютого повідомив Білопільський міський голова Юрій Зарко". Суспільне | Новини. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
5. "На Сумщині в боротьбі з диверсантами загинули двоє прикордонників". 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
6. Skakun, Serhey (26 February 2022). "На Сумщині за день близько сотні поранених, 4 – загиблих" [In the Sumy region about a hundred wounded, 4 dead] (in Ukrainian). Dancor Online. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022. Суми: поранених 12 [Amounts: 12 wounded]
7. "У Сумах обстріляли цивільне авто з дорослими та дітьми — загинула жінка". 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
8. "ГОЛОВНЕ ЗА ДЕНЬНОВИНИТОП ТЕМА При обстрілах Сум загинули троє". 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
9. "Russian forces attack residential area, killing one". Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
10. "Sumy governor: More than 100 civilians killed". NHK Japan. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
11. "Ukrainian soldiers clash with Russians in a fierce fight near Sumy, a regional capital located near the border with Russia". The Kyiv Independent. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
12. Röpcke, Julian [@JulianRoepcke] (24 February 2022). "#Breaking #NewsMap The Putin regime army captured the city of #Sumy (264.000 inhabitants) in N-E #Ukraine. There seems to be no fighting and Russia tanks control the center. #PutinAtWar https://t.co/Fmjrt7BwZ9" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
13. Röpcke, Julian [@JulianRoepcke] (24 February 2022). "Heavy urban fighting in Sumy. Seems some Ukrainian partisans are fighting the Russian occupiers. https://t.co/s7mmAsNcRb" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
14. @BNONews (25 February 2022). "WATCH: Heavy urban fighting in the Ukrainian city of Sumy – NYT" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 February 2022 – via Twitter.
15. Isobel Koshiw (2 January 2023). "How Sumy's residents kept Russian forces out of their city". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
16. Russian troops no longer hold any settlements in Ukraine's Sumy region, says governor, National Post (4 April 2022)
17. "Військове вторгнення Росії в Україну: що відбувається на Сумщині. Тиждень перший. Онлайн". Суспільне. Новини (in Ukrainian). 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
18. "Росія атакувала українські міста: де відбулися бої". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
19. Володимир Чернов (20 September 2022). "Перший форпост". Holos Ukrayiny (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
20. "Ворог відступив: у Сумах біля кадетського корпусу закінчився переможний бій". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
21. "У Сумах біля артучилища знову почався бій: горить церква – відео з місця події". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
22. "Ukraine's Sumy city says fighting under way on streets". National Post. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
23. Христенко, Лілія (26 February 2022). "У Сумах йдуть бої, в Охтирці — обстріли. Яка ситуація в області". Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 June 2024.
24. The Kyiv Independent [@KyivIndependent] (26 February 2022). "⚡️President's Office: Sumy fully returned to Ukrainian control. Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych wrote that despite earlier reports that half the city was under Russian control, it has now returned fully to Ukrainian control" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Twitter.
25. "Russian invasion update: Ukrainian forces destroy convoy of fuel trucks in Sumy". www.ukrinform.net. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
26. Vlasova, Iryna (27 February 2022). "При обстрілах Сум загинули троє" [Three people died in the shelling of Sumy] (in Ukrainian). Панорама. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
27. "A large column of Russian vehicles is pushing into the city of Sumy from the side of Khimprom". The Kyiv Independent. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
28. "In Sumy the occupants fired at a civilian car". Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
29. Amelina, Kateryna (27 February 2022). "На Сумщине россияне ворвались в продуктовый магазин и воруют еду. Видео" [In the Sumy region, Russians break into a grocery store and steal food. (Video)]. LIGA (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
30. "Russian missile strikes Sumy, 5 wounded". Pravda. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
31. "Sumy: more than 500 international students trapped in Ukrainian town battered by shelling". The Guardian. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
32. Nseyen, Nsikak (8 March 2022). "Russia invasion: Four Ukrainian soldiers, 10 others killed in Sumy". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
33. Sam Jones (8 March 2022). "Two children among at least 21 killed in Sumy airstrikes, officials say". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
34. "Ukraine's task is to hold off Russia for 7-10 days-senior official". Reuters. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
35. France-Presse, Guardian staff and Agence (21 March 2022). "Ukrainian town told to shelter after shelling causes ammonia leak at chemical factory". the Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
36. Examiner, Victor I. Nava, Washington. "Ammonia leak reported at Ukraine chemical plant after Russian airstrike". Colorado Springs Gazette. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
37. Kalatur, Anastasiya (8 April 2022). "Sumy region liberated from Russian troops". Ukrayinska Pravda. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
38. Strozewski, Zoe (16 May 2022). "Russian sneak attack on Sumy area fails, Putin forces lose Ukrainian ground". Newsweek. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
39. "Oleh Novikov 🇺🇦 on Twitter: "The Russian army shelled Okhtyrka Sumy region in the early morning, at least 5 were wounded – region official"". Twitter. Retrieved 17 May 2022.