Military occupation and annexation by Russia
The Russian occupation of Kharkiv Oblast, officially the Kharkov Military–Civilian Administration, is an ongoing military occupation that began on 24 February 2022, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and began capturing and occupying parts of Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Russian forces failed to capture the capital city of the oblast, Kharkiv. However, other major cities including Izium, Kupiansk, and Balakliia were captured by Russian forces. As of November 2022, Russian forces only occupy a small portion of land in the Kharkiv Oblast.
In early September 2022, Ukraine began a major counteroffensive, regaining several settlements in the region and ending numerous Russian military or military-civilian administrations.
History.
The city of Vovchansk and the town of Velykyi Burluk came under Russian control on 24 February 2022, the first day of the Russian invasion. Shevchenkove came under Russian occupation on 26 February 2022.
The city of Izium was captured by Russian forces on 1 April 2022, beginning the Russian military occupation of the city.
On 21 April 2022, Russia appointed Vitaly Ganchev as head of the Kharkiv Oblast military-civilian administration. On 19 August Andrey Alekseyenko was appointed first deputy head of the Kharkiv Oblast military-civilian administration and Prime Minister.
On 8 July 2022, Vitaly Ganchev said that Kharkiv Oblast is an "inalienable" part of Russian territory and intended for Kharkiv Oblast to be annexed by the Russian Federation via referendum. But on 11 August, Ganchev told the Russia-24 TV channel that the authorities of the territories of the Kharkiv Oblast controlled by Russian troops are not yet ready to discuss a referendum on joining Russia, because "only 20 percent and no more" of the region is under Russian control. According to Ukrainian intelligence, before the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia planned to hold a referendum in Kharkiv Oblast in November, with a planned 75% vote in favour of joining Russia.
Ukraine began a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in early September. By 10 September 2022, Ukraine recaptured Izium, ending the military-civilian administration and Russian occupation of the city. By 11 September, Russia had withdrawn from most of the settlements it previously occupied in the oblast, including Izium, Kupiansk and Vovchansk. The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced a formal withdrawal of Russian forces from all of Kharkiv Oblast west of the Oskil river stating that an "operation to curtail and transfer troops" was underway."
The Kharkov Military-Civilian Administration, originally based in Kupiansk, briefly relocated to Vovchansk on 8 September 2022, but moved again before the city was recaptured by Ukrainian forces on 11 September 2022. By 18 September 2022, Russian forces only occupied a small strip of Kharkiv Oblast east of the Oskil. On 13 September 2022, Ukrainian forces had reportedly crossed the Oskil and had set up positions at multiple locations.
On 3 October 2022, Russian forces fled from Nyzhche Solone, Pidlyman, Nyzhnia Zhuravka, Borova, and Shyikivka, allowing Ukrainian authorities to regain control of almost all of the oblast.
Human rights and humanitarian effect.
According to "The Guardian," inhabitants of occupied Izium had survived in their basements for three weeks without electricity, heating or running water. The report also claimed that Russian soldiers had prepared lists of individuals to “hunt”: gun owners, wealthy people and others deemed “dangerous” such as businessmen, activists, military, and their families. The Russian army was also accused of barring passage of humanitarian convoys while food and medicine available in the city was running out.
Following the end of the Russian occupation on 10 September, multiple bodies were discovered in the town of Zaliznychne, reportedly killed by Russian troops during the early days of the war.
Partisan and other resistance.
On 3 April 2022, the Ukrainian government stated that two Russian soldiers were killed and 28 others hospitalized after Ukrainian civilians handed out poisoned cakes to Russian soldiers of the Russian 3rd Motor Rifle Division in Izium.
On 11 July 2022, the Russian-appointed military-civilian administration leader of Velykyi Burluk, Yevgeny Yunakov, was assassinated in a car bombing.
On 23 November 2023 the Russian-appointed deputy head of the occupation administration Oleksandr Slisarenko was killed when his car exploded in Belgorod, Russia. An anonymous source told "Ukrainska Pravda" that the Security Service of Ukraine was responsible for his killing.
References.
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