Ukraine's easternmost regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv, have been the site of an ongoing theatre of operation since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war in February 2022.
The battle of Donbas was a major offensive in the eastern theatre that took place in mid-2022. By the culmination of the offensive in July 2022, Russian forces and their separatist allies had captured the cities of Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Rubizhne and Izium. However, in early September, Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive in the east, which recaptured the cities of Izium, Balakliia, Kupiansk, Sviatohirsk and the strategic city of Lyman. The counteroffensive stalled east of the Oskil river, and a campaign in eastern Kharkiv Oblast and western Luhansk Oblast has continued since, though Donetsk Oblast has remained the most active area of the frontline.
In the winter of 2022–2023, Russia focused on capturing the city of Bakhmut, largely destroying the city in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and fully capturing it in May 2023. In June 2023, Ukraine launched another major counteroffensive across the entire frontline, capturing some Russian positions along Bakhmut's outskirts and in southwestern Donetsk Oblast, though not making the major gains in the Donbas which had been sought. By November 2023, this counteroffensive had largely stalled in the east and Russia began making new offensive operations to capture territory, gaining control of Avdiivka and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast by February 2024.
Following the capture of Avdiivka, Russian forces advanced to form a salient northwest of it and captured the settlement of Ocheretyne in April 2024 and began contesting Krasnohorivka, southwest of Donetsk, and Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut, and launched an offensive towards the city of Toretsk in June 2024. In late July 2024, Russia increased offensive manoeuvres in the direction of the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, capturing it in late January 2026.
Background
Sporadic fighting had been taking place since 2014 between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists from the Donetsk People's Republic during the war in Donbas.
Campaign
Initial Russian attacks (February–March 2022)
Kharkiv Oblast
On 24 February, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine, Russian forces crossed the Russia-Ukraine border and began advancing towards Kharkiv. Ukrainian soldiers were deployed to positions along key routes into the city, and residents began volunteering for military service within hours of the invasion. A Russian missile struck the Chuhuiv air base, which housed Bayraktar TB2 drones. According to open-source intelligence, the attack left damage to fuel storage areas and infrastructure.
On 25 February, fierce fighting continued in the northern outskirts of Kharkiv, especially in the village of Tsyrkuny. On 26 February, the governor of Kharkiv Oblast, Oleh Syniehubov, stated that the city of Kharkiv was still under Ukrainian control, and announced a curfew for the city.
In the early morning of 27 February, a gas pipeline in Kharkiv was destroyed by Russian forces. Russian light vehicles broke into the city, with half of them reportedly destroyed by Ukrainian forces in ensuing fighting. By the afternoon, Ukrainian officials stated that Kharkiv was still under Ukrainian control despite the overnight attack by Russian forces. Meanwhile, Hennadiy Matsegora, the mayor of Kupiansk, agreed to hand over control of the city to Russian forces who were threatening to storm it, and accused Ukrainian forces of abandoning it when the invasion began. He was later accused of treason by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.
On 2 March, Russian paratroopers landed in Kharkiv during the early morning and started clashing with Ukrainian forces. Clashes also took place near a military hospital of the city as Russian paratroopers descended on it. Kharkiv Oblast's Police Chief Volodymyr Tymoshko later stated that the situation was under control. Russian forces entered the town of Balakliia the same day.
On 4 March, Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in Kharkiv Oblast, reportedly pushing the Russian forces towards the Sumy Oblast, and reaching part of the Russia-Ukraine border. By 7 March, Ukraine claimed to have retaken Chuhuiv near Kharkiv in a counter-attack overnight. During the day, Ukraine also claimed to have killed Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov, while also killing and wounding other senior Russian Army officers during a battle near Kharkiv.
On 8 March, Ukraine stated that it had repelled an attack by Russian forces on Izium.
Donetsk Oblast
On the morning of 25 February, Russian forces, along with allied separatists, advanced from territory controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) towards Mariupol, encountering Ukrainian forces in Pavlopil. The Ukrainians were victorious, destroying at least 20 Russian tanks. In the evening, the Russian Navy began an amphibious assault 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Mariupol, along the coast of the Sea of Azov. Russian forces bombarded Mariupol throughout 26 February; the city's mayor Vadym Boychenko claimed that schools and apartment buildings had been struck.
On the morning of 27 February, it was reported that a Russian tank column was quickly advancing towards Mariupol from DPR-held territory, but the attack was prevented by Ukrainian forces. Six Russian soldiers were captured.
The same day, Donetsk Oblast governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that Volnovakha was undergoing a humanitarian crisis, as Russian shelling had practically destroyed the entire city.
On 1 March, Ukrainian forces began a counteroffensive toward Horlivka, which had been controlled by the DPR since 2014.
On 2 March, separatist-held Donetsk had been under shelling for several days. Some neighbourhoods had no electricity supply and there were burnt cars on the streets.
Ukrainian official Oleksiy Arestovych stated that the Ukrainian forces went on the offensive for the first time during the war, advancing towards Horlivka. Ihor Zhdanov later claimed that "there were reports" that a part of the city had been captured by Ukrainian forces. According to Ukrainian reports, Ukraine's 95th Air Assault Brigade had begun attacking the city the previous day.
Ukrainian authorities stated on 3 March that 34 civilians had been killed in Russian shelling in Mariupol in the previous 24 hours.
On 5 March, a ceasefire was declared in Volnovakha to allow civilians to evacuate, but was later scuttled with Ukrainian officials blaming Russian shelling continuing during the evacuation process. They added that about 400 civilians were still able to leave the city. Russian President Vladimir Putin however blamed Ukrainian forces for the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.
On 6 March, both sides blamed each other for the failure of a second attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol.
On 9 March, a building acting as a maternity ward and children's hospital in Mariupol was bombed by the Russian Air Force at around 17:00, killing five civilians and injuring 17.
On 11 March, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that the forces of the DPR had captured Volnovakha. It also claimed that they had advanced 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and had further tightened the siege of Mariupol. Videos later posted on social media showed Russian forces in many neighbourhoods of Volnovakha.
On 12 March, the Associated Press independently confirmed that Volnovakha had been captured by pro-Russian separatists and much of it had been destroyed in the fighting. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donetsk Oblast, stated that while the settlements of Nikolske, Manhush and Urzuf had been occupied by Russian troops, they had yet to capture any key cities, with the exception of Volnovakha.
In the northern Donetsk Oblast, the Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery was bombed around 22:00 on 12 March, wounding 30 people and damaging the monastery.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated on 13 March that Russian forces had captured the settlements of Nikolske, Blahodatne, Volodymyrivka and Pavlivka in Donetsk Oblast, in an attempt to reach Velyka Novosilka. The Ukrainian military stated that Russian forces had captured the settlements of Staromlynivka, Yevhenivka, Pavlivka and Yehorivka during the day.
On 14 March, Donetsk was hit by a missile attack. Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic, stated that they had shot down a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile fired on the city of Donetsk, but parts of the missile fell into the city centre, killing multiple civilians. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 23 civilians were killed and 28 more wounded. However, the Ukrainian military denied conducting the attack and stated that it was "unmistakably a Russian rocket or another munition", which was supported by an assessment of the Conflict Intelligence Team, an investigative journalism group.
Ukrainian forces later said that Russian troops of the 336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade and the 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade had tried to advance in the Donetsk Oblast at 17:00, but were repulsed with up to 100 soldiers killed and six of their vehicles being destroyed.
On 20 March, Russian officials confirmed that Andrey Paliy, a deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet, had been killed in Mariupol.
Luhansk Oblast
On 24 February, the Ukrainian military said that Russian forces were attempting to cross the Siverskyi Donets River and penetrate the Ukrainian defensive line amid heavy clashes for Shchastia and Stanytsia Luhanska. By 27 February, Luhansk Oblast governor Serhiy Haidai acknowledged that February that both cities had come under Russian occupation, and had been practically destroyed by Russian shelling.
On 25 February, the Ukrainian military claimed that its artillery had inflicted damage on a Russian column preparing to cross the Aidar River near Starobilsk, forcing the Russians to withdraw.
On 2 March, forces of the Luhansk People's Republic and Russian troops captured Novoaidar, taking over a base of Ukraine's 79th Brigade. Further north, a Russian convoy of 60 vehicles entered Starobilsk through the fields near the villages of Shulhynka, Omelkove, and Khvorostianivka. Inside the city, the Russians were confronted by protesting locals waving Ukrainian flags and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. The column continued in the direction of Svatove.
The next day, civilians carrying Ukrainian flags protested against Russian troops in Svatove. After talks with locals, the soldiers withdrew from the town. Also on 3 March, LPR officials announced that in addition to Novoaidar and Starobilsk, their forces had taken control of Stepnyi Yar, Havrylivka, Yepifanivka and Krasnorichenske, all located on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk. The Russian ministry of defence claimed that LPR forces had reached the northern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk on the same date.
Haidai stated on 6 March that fighting was taking place on the outskirts of Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne, as Ukrainian units had fallen back to a new front line to avoid encirclement or a Russian breakthrough. He added that Ukrainian forces had lost control of Svatove, Starobilsk and Novopskov, though Russian forces were not deployed in the cities in large numbers. He also said that Popasna and Hirske were being continuously shelled.
On 8 March, Ukrainian officials stated that ten civilians had been killed and eight wounded in shelling on Severodonetsk during the day. Haidai, meanwhile, stated that Russian forces had occupied 70 per cent of Luhansk Oblast.
On 12 March, Ukrainian forces confirmed the death of Colonel Valery Hudz, the commander of the Ukrainian 24th Mechanized Brigade, while fighting on the Luhansk frontline. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using white phosphorus munitions on the town of Popasna, located in the Luhansk Oblast, during the night of 12–13 March.
On 15 March, Haidai stated that four civilians were killed due to Russian shelling of a hospital, a care facility for children with visual impairments, and three schools in Rubizhne.
On 22 March, the head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, claimed that "almost 80% of the territory" of the Luhansk region was under separatist control, with Popasna, Lysychansk, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk and Kreminna remaining Ukrainian-held. He noted that the situation in the battlefield was "stably tense" and that units of the People's Militia of the LPR were striving to capture Popasna and Rubizhne.
Battle of Donbas (April–September 2022)
April 2022
On 25 March, the Russian defence ministry stated that it was prepared to begin a second phase of military operations with the aim of occupying major Ukrainian cities in eastern Ukraine. According to the ministry, Russian-backed separatists were in control of 93% of Luhansk Oblast and 54% of Donetsk Oblast.
After Russia abandoned its offensive to capture Kyiv, it shifted its attention to eastern and southern Ukraine. The Russian military began redeploying units from northern Ukraine to the east, but many of these troops appeared to be nearly combat-ineffective due to heavy losses. However, Russia still amassed tens of thousands of troops, declaring its aim to fully capture the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. It managed to secure Izium on 1 April, although heavy fighting continued around the settlement over the next few days. According to local authorities 80% of Izium's residential buildings were destroyed in the battle. On 3 April, according to the Ukrainian government, two Russian soldiers died and 28 others were hospitalised after Ukrainian civilians handed out poisoned cakes to soldiers of the Russian 3rd Motor Rifle Division in Izium.