in ukraine ukrainian troops took control of the donets basin in april 1918. in the same month, crimea was also cleared of the bolsheviks by ukrainian troops and the imperial german army. on 13 march 1918 ukrainian troops and the austro-hungarian army had secured odessa. on 5 april 1918 the german army took control of yekaterinoslav, and 3 days later kharkiv. the german/austro-hungarian victories in ukraine were due to the apathy of the locals and the inferior fighting skills of bolsheviks troops compared to their austro-hungarian and german counterparts.