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Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion
(about 20 hours later)
Russian troops are continuing to surround several cities but their advances have ground to a halt in many areas, with Ukrainian forces launching a series of successful counter-attacks. Russia says it is moving to focus on taking full control of the east of Ukraine in a sign that Moscow knows its pre-war strategy has failed, according to Western officials.
Here are the latest developments on day 30 of the invasion: Here are the latest developments on day 31 of the invasion:
Ukrainian forces re-occupy several areas west of the capital Kyiv Russia says goal of reducing Ukraine's military power has been met
Major Ukrainian fuel depot south of Kyiv hit by Russian missiles Focus is now Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russian army chief says
Russian forces continuing advance into southern city of Mariupol Change of tactics comes after several Ukrainian counter-attacks
Second-city of Kharkiv remains under heavy aerial bombardment Ukrainian forces are seeking to retake city of Kherson in the south
Russians making small gains in Donetsk and Luhansk in the east But major cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain besieged
Russia launched its attack in the early hours of 24 February, but more than four weeks into the war its forces have mostly failed to build on initial gains they made across the country. Russia launched its attack in the early hours of 24 February, but more than four weeks into the war it appears that Moscow has been forced to reconsider its objectives in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance.
The ferocity of the Ukrainian resistance has meant Russian forces have been forced to change their approach, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). Despite surrounding a number of cities, Russian forces are reluctant to engage in large-scale urban operations, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The MoD said the Russians are now pursuing a "strategy of attrition" which could result in increased civilian casualties and greater destruction of cities in the coming days. Instead, the MoD says Russia is increasingly relying on heavy aerial bombardments as it looks to limit its own considerable losses, at the cost of further civilian casualties.
The fight for Kyiv in the northThe fight for Kyiv in the north
Russian forces have been attempting to encircle and cut off the capital, but large areas around Kyiv remain under Ukrainian control, especially in the south. In Kyiv, Russia has been attempting to encircle the city for weeks now, but Ukrainian forces remain in control of large areas around the capital, especially in the south.
In recent days, Ukrainian forces have launched counter-attacks to the west of the capital and regained some territory that had been occupied by Russian troops. In recent days, Ukraine has launched counter-attacks to the east and west of Kyiv and regained some territory that had been occupied by Russian troops.
The nearest Russian troops have advanced to the west of Kyiv is about 25km (15 miles) from the city centre, around the suburbs of Irpin and Bucha.The nearest Russian troops have advanced to the west of Kyiv is about 25km (15 miles) from the city centre, around the suburbs of Irpin and Bucha.
This means Russian artillery remains out of range of central Kyiv, but shelling of the outskirts continues to cause casualties and destroy homes and infrastructure - and the city is still vulnerable to Russian warplanes.This means Russian artillery remains out of range of central Kyiv, but shelling of the outskirts continues to cause casualties and destroy homes and infrastructure - and the city is still vulnerable to Russian warplanes.
On Friday, Russia claimed to have destroyed Ukraine's largest remaining military fuel storage site, located about 35km (22 miles) south west Kyiv, in a missile attack.
To the east of the capital, Ukrainian forces have repelled renewed Russian attempts to advance toward Brovary, about 20km (12 miles) away from the centre of Kyiv.To the east of the capital, Ukrainian forces have repelled renewed Russian attempts to advance toward Brovary, about 20km (12 miles) away from the centre of Kyiv.
In Boryspil, around 15km (10 miles) south east of Kyiv and home to Ukraine's largest airport, about 20,000 civilians are said to have left the area, answering a call to clear out so Ukrainian troops could push the Russians further back. The Russian advance on Kyiv from the east has been hindered by its inability to take control of Chernihiv, a major city to the north east that sits between the capital and the Russian border.
The Russian advance on Kyiv from the east has been hindered by its inability to take control of Chernihiv, a major city to the north east of the Kyiv that sits between the capital and the Russian border.
Chernihiv's governor says the city is effectively surrounded by Russian forces, but Ukrainian troops remain in control of the centre at the moment.Chernihiv's governor says the city is effectively surrounded by Russian forces, but Ukrainian troops remain in control of the centre at the moment.
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Russian progress slows in the southRussian progress slows in the south
Russian forces initially made rapid gains in the south, with their main objective being the creation of a land corridor between Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and areas held by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.Russian forces initially made rapid gains in the south, with their main objective being the creation of a land corridor between Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and areas held by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Standing in the way of that objective has been the port city of Mariupol, which has been encircled by Russian forces since the start of March. Ukrainian officials say about 100,000 civilians remain trapped in the city. Standing in the way of that objective has been the port city of Mariupol, which has been encircled by Russian forces since the start of March.
The government in Ukraine has rejected demands to surrender Mariupol and Russian forces have continued to advance into the city centre. Russian forces have been advancing further into the centre of the city, where Ukrainian officials have said some 100,000 civilians remained trapped.
However, a Ukrainian attack on Russian vessels in the nearby port of Berdyansk on Thursday may disrupt attempts to reinforce Russian troops in the area, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). To the west, Russia has been attempting to push towards Odesa, with the aim of cutting off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea.
To the west, Russia is likely to continue a push towards Odesa with the aim of cutting off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. Russian naval forces off the coast have fired on the city in recent days but military experts believe capturing Odesa by landing troops from the sea would be very difficult. But their advances stalled at Mykolaiv, where a counter-attack by Ukrainian troops has pushed Russian forces back towards the city of Kherson.
Russian advances on Mykolaiv, which lies between Russian forces and Odesa, have slowed and a counter-attack by Ukrainian troops and volunteers has pushed Russian forces back from nearby Voznesensk. On Friday, a senior US defence official told the BBC that Ukrainian forces could retake Kherson, which was captured by Russia early on in the war, in the coming days.
Russian advances in the east Russia targets full control in the east
Fighting continues in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed separatists held significant territory before the Russian invasion. With recent setbacks elsewhere in the country, the chief of the Russian army now says the focus of its forces is the "complete liberation" of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The ISW says Russian forces there have secured several minor advances in both Donetsk and Luhansk in the past couple of days. One Western official told the BBC this was a sign that Russia was recognising that "it can't pursue its operations on multiple axes simultaneously".
In the north east, Russian troops have almost surrounded the city of Sumy, but Ukrainian forces have prevented attempts to cut it off from the south. Russian-backed separatists held significant territory in the eastern regions before the Russian invasion and Moscow now claims that it controls 93% of Luhansk and 54% of Donetsk.
A similar attempt to encircle Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has also been repelled with analysts saying Russian forces there are in short supply of ammunition. Western officials say several thousand Russian troops are on their way to the region to bolster their forces.
By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk and Prina Shah.By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk and Prina Shah.
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 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.
From 2 March this daily assessment differentiated between "Assessed Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory" and "Assessed Russian advances in Ukraine", the latter indicating areas where Russians are believed to have launched attacks from but which they do not control.From 2 March this daily assessment differentiated between "Assessed Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory" and "Assessed Russian advances in Ukraine", the latter indicating areas where Russians are believed to have launched attacks from but which they do not control.
To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using daily updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using daily updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
The situation in Ukraine is 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 fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.