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Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia
(2 months later)
It is almost two years since Russia's invasion but the situation on the ground has changed little in recent months - despite Ukraine's counter-offensive, which began in June. Fighting has been raging in Ukraine for two years since Russia's invasion, with Moscow's forces making an apparent breakthrough this week after months of virtual stalemate.
Here are the latest developments:Here are the latest developments:
Ukrainian forces have continued ground operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River - a foothold that could allow it to transfer vital equipment across the river Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the eastern town of Avdiivka in Russia's biggest victory since the fall of Bakhmut in May last year
Russian forces in the east have made confirmed advances north east of Kupiansk, north of Bakhmut, and south west of Avdiivka Russia has also been launching attacks around villages in the southern Zaporizhzhia region where Ukraine made some gains during its 2023 counter-offensive
Russian forces have also advanced near Robotyne, a southern village that was retaken by Ukraine early in its counter-offensive Ukraine has continued its attacks on the Russian fleet in the Black Sea - most recently claiming to have sunk the amphibious ship, the Caesar Kunikov, off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea
Ukraine maintains foothold across river Russian forces take Avdiivka
Ukraine has continued ground operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River with heavy battles reported to be ongoing in the area around the village of Krynky, about 30km (19 miles) from the city of Kherson. Ukraine has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka - a key eastern town besieged by Russian forces for months - and the nearby coke factory which allowed Kyiv to resupply its forces there.
Ukraine first announced it had made a breakthrough in mid-November - the river had separated Ukrainian and Russian forces since Moscow's troops withdrew from Kherson a year ago. Since last October, Moscow has launched wave after wave of attacks towards the town - which would have been a possible gateway for Ukraine to reach the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk.
Analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say Ukrainian forces have retained their positions despite Russian counterattacks. Avdiivka has been a battlefield town since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
If Ukraine can continue to hold the area it could be a significant advance as it may be able to begin transferring armoured vehicles and air defence systems across the river, putting it a step closer to breaking through to Crimea, the peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Almost all of Avdiivka's pre-war population of more than 30,000 people have left and the town itself is almost completely destroyed.
The village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region could offer a similar stepping stone but Russian forces are reported to have made some advances in the area. Its fall marks the biggest change on the more than 1,000km-long (620-mile) front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023. Bakhmut remains a key flash point along the front line along with the areas around Robotyne and Krynky further south.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has hailed it as an "important victory" - although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was "likely that Russian forces lack the combat effectiveness to immediately exploit the capture of Avdiivka".
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision to withdraw was taken to save soldiers' lives and blamed faltering Western weapons supplies.
Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to keep fighting Russia - a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.
Battle for Bakhmut
Bakhmut has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war and, although Ukraine gained some ground in the surrounding areas over the summer, recent assessments by US-based analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest Russian forces have made advances around the city.
Flashpoints in the south
Russia has also made slow progress further south near the villages of Robotyne and Verbove in Zaporizhzhia - an area where Ukraine had seen some success during its counter-offensive in 2023.
When Ukraine retook Robotyne in August it was hoped that its forces would be able to cut the land corridor to Crimea, making Moscow's supply lines more complicated.When Ukraine retook Robotyne in August it was hoped that its forces would be able to cut the land corridor to Crimea, making Moscow's supply lines more complicated.
The ISW does note that Russia's advances might be the result of Ukrainian forces withdrawing to "more defensible positions" near Robotyne. Earlier this week Ukrainian commanders said Russian forces had launched multiple attacks on their positions in the area but insisted they had been repelled.
Russian advances in the east However, the ISW said geolocated footage indicated Russian forces had recently advanced to the western and southern outskirts of the village while Russian military bloggers were claiming even further progress.
Russia has also made advances north east of Kupiansk, north of Bakhmut, and south west of Avdiivka, according to the latest ISW assessment. Russia also appears to have retaken some territory on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river in the area around the village of Krynky, about 30km (19 miles) from the city of Kherson.
Perhaps most significant is the activity around Avdiivka, a strategically important town on the front line in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine first announced it had made a breakthrough in Krynky in mid-November - the river had separated Ukrainian and Russian forces since Moscow's troops withdrew from Kherson a year ago.
The town is sometimes described as the gateway to the city of Donetsk, which has been occupied by Russia and its proxy forces since 2014. Taking Avdiivka - which lies close by - would allow Russia to push the front line back, making it harder for the Ukrainian forces to retake the territory. It was hoped Ukraine might be able to use it as a base to begin transferring armoured vehicles and air defence systems across the river, putting it a step closer to breaking through to Crimea, the peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Ukrainian General Staff says its forces have repelled Russian attacks near Avdiivka itself, as well as from settlements to the north west, south west, and directly west of the town. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on Tuesday that Russian forces had retaken Krynky but the ISW said open-source visual evidence and Ukrainian and Russian reporting suggested that Ukrainian forces still had a limited foothold in the area.
However, the ISW says Russia has made confirmed advances near the town and notes that several Russian sources claim its forces are trying to push Ukrainian troops out of positions in the Avdiivka Coke Plant, which occupies a key tactical position. Attacks on Russia's fleet
The plant, on the north-western outskirts of the town, dominates the main road into Avdiivka and, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes if Russian forces were to secure it, resupplying the town would "become increasingly difficult for Ukraine". Meanwhile, Ukraine has maintained its attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including the apparent sinking of the amphibious ship, the Caesar Kunikov, off the coast of Crimea.
It notes the building gives Ukraine a "localised defensive advantage" and says Russian forces will probably suffer significant losses if they attempt to assault the facility. Ukraine's intelligence directorate released video of what it said were Magura V5 sea drones striking the ship near the town of Alupka.
The battle for Bakhmut There was no confirmation from Russia's navy that the Caesar Kunikov had been sunk in the Black Sea, merely that six Ukrainian drones had been destroyed. The Kremlin has also refused to comment on the incident.
The city of Bakhmut, which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war, has been under Russian control for several months and, although Ukraine gained some ground in the surrounding areas over the summer, the battles continue. However, the UK MoD notes it would be third such vessel, which is used to provide logistical support to the fleet and the wider war effort in Ukraine, to be destroyed in Ukrainian strikes.
Recent assessments by the ISW show Russian forces have made advances north of Bakhmut. "Ukraine's ingenuity has highly likely deterred Russia from operating freely in the western Black Sea and enabled Ukraine to seize the maritime momentum from Russia," it adds.
The Ukrainian General Staff says settlements in the area - including Klishchiivka and Andriivka - are continuing to come under artillery and mortar fire. Two days later pro-Russian military bloggers reported that the commander of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Viktor Sokolov had been replaced by Vice-Admiral Sergei Pinchuka.
Despite Russia's reported recent advances along the front line, UK MoD says the individual attacks are relatively small - "rarely above platoon size", and adds: "A major Russian breakthrough is unlikely and overall, the front is characterised by stasis." They speculated that this may have been as a result of Ukraine's successes, although it is possible that Sokolov was killed in a strike on the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol in September.
More than a year of fighting Ukraine has also succeeded in shooting down several Russian planes in recent weeks - including an Su-34 and an Su-35S in eastern Ukraine on Monday.
Two years of fighting
Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.
Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine and had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv.Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine and had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv.
Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.
But they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition.But they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition.
Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.
By October 2022, the picture had changed dramatically and having failed to take Kyiv, Russia withdrew completely from the north. Since then, little has changed on the ground.By October 2022, the picture had changed dramatically and having failed to take Kyiv, Russia withdrew completely from the north. Since then, little has changed on the ground.
By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Kady Wardell, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou, Simon Martin and Prina Shah. By Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Paul Sargeant, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Kady Wardell, Mark Bryson, Sana Dionysiou, Gerry Fletcher, Kate Gaynor, Filipa Silverio and Erwan Rivault
About these mapsAbout these maps
To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.
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