Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (8 April – 28 August 2022)

This timeline details the major events of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from April 8, 2022, to August 28, 2022. It follows the initial withdrawal of Russian forces from northern Ukraine and the refocusing of their military efforts on the eastern and southern regions of the country.

April 2022

April 8: Following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kyiv Oblast and surrounding regions, evidence of widespread war crimes in areas such as Bucha continues to emerge, leading to increased international condemnation. Calls for further sanctions against Russia intensify.
April 9: Ukrainian officials report finding more bodies of civilians allegedly killed by Russian forces in Borodianka.
April 10: Russian forces increase shelling and missile strikes in eastern Ukraine, particularly around Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, in preparation for a renewed offensive in the Donbas region.
April 11: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer meets with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, becoming the first European leader to do so since the invasion began.
April 12: President Biden accuses Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine.
April 13: Ukrainian forces reportedly strike the Russian warship Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, with anti-ship missiles.
April 14: Russia confirms that the Moskva has sunk after what it claims was an ammunition explosion and fire.
April 15: Russia threatens to increase missile strikes on Kyiv in response to alleged Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
April 16: Fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attempt to break through Ukrainian defenses.
April 17: Russian forces claim to have captured the city of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast.
April 18: Russia launches a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine, focusing on the Donbas region.
April 19: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy states that Russia has begun the "Battle of Donbas."
April 20: Russia tests a new intercontinental ballistic missile, raising concerns about potential escalation.
April 21: Russian forces claim to have captured Mariupol, although Ukrainian forces continue to hold out in the Azovstal steel plant.
April 22: A Russian general states that Russia's goal is to establish full control over the Donbas and southern Ukraine.
April 23: A missile strike hits a residential building in Odesa, killing several people.
April 24: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visit Kyiv and pledge further support for Ukraine.
April 25: Several explosions are reported in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, raising fears of the conflict spreading.
April 26: The UN Secretary-General António Guterres visits Moscow and meets with Vladimir Putin.
April 27: Russia cuts off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria for refusing to pay in rubles.
April 28: Kyiv is struck by missiles during a visit by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
April 29: Fighting continues to intensify in eastern Ukraine, with heavy shelling reported in several areas.
April 30: Evacuation efforts continue in Mariupol, focusing on civilians trapped in the Azovstal steel plant.

May 2022

May 1: The first group of civilians are evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
May 2: More civilians are evacuated from Azovstal with the assistance of the UN and Red Cross.
May 3: Intense fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, particularly around Lyman and Sievierodonetsk.
May 4: The European Commission proposes a sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian oil imports.
May 5: Russian forces continue to bombard the Azovstal steel plant, attempting to dislodge the remaining Ukrainian defenders.
May 6: G7 leaders pledge to phase out or ban Russian oil imports.
May 7: A school in Bilohorivka, Luhansk Oblast, is bombed, killing dozens of civilians sheltering inside.
May 8: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Kyiv.
May 9: Russia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Vladimir Putin gives a speech in Moscow, defending the invasion of Ukraine.
May 10: Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with Russian forces making incremental gains.
May 11: Ukraine suspends gas transit through a key pipeline, citing interference by Russian forces.
May 12: Finland announces its intention to apply for NATO membership.
May 13: Sweden also announces its intention to apply for NATO membership.
May 14: G7 foreign ministers meet in Germany and pledge further support for Ukraine.
May 15: Russian forces continue to focus their efforts on capturing Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
May 16: Ukrainian forces in the Azovstal steel plant begin to surrender to Russian forces.
May 17: The surrender of Ukrainian forces at Azovstal continues, marking the end of the siege of Mariupol.
May 18: Ukrainian authorities report heavy shelling across the eastern front line.
May 19: The U.S. Senate approves a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine.
May 20: Russia declares that it has completely captured Mariupol.
May 21: President Biden signs the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine into law.
May 22: Poland's President Andrzej Duda addresses the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv.
May 23: A Russian soldier is sentenced to life in prison for war crimes in Ukraine.
May 24: Fighting intensifies around Sievierodonetsk as Russian forces attempt to encircle the city.
May 25: Russia claims to have taken control of Lyman, a key railway hub in the Donbas.
May 26: Ukrainian officials acknowledge that Russian forces have advanced further into Sievierodonetsk.
May 27: Russia suspends gas exports to the Netherlands for refusing to pay in rubles.
May 28: Russian forces continue their offensive in the Donbas, making slow but steady gains.
May 29: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits the Kharkiv region.
May 30: EU leaders agree in principle to ban most Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
May 31: Russian forces continue to advance in Sievierodonetsk, engaging in street fighting.

June 2022

June 1: Fighting rages in Sievierodonetsk as Russian forces attempt to seize full control of the city.
June 2: President Zelenskyy states that Ukrainian forces are holding their ground in Sievierodonetsk, but the situation remains critical.
June 3: The United States announces a new security assistance package for Ukraine, including HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems).
June 4: Russian forces intensify their shelling of Sievierodonetsk and surrounding areas.
June 5: Russian forces reportedly control most of Sievierodonetsk.
June 6: Fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, with Russian forces attempting to encircle Ukrainian troops.
June 7: The Ukrainian government appeals for more heavy weapons from Western allies.
June 8: Russian forces destroy a bridge linking Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, making it harder to resupply Ukrainian troops.
June 9: Poland delivers PT-91 Twardy tanks to Ukraine.
June 10: Fighting intensifies around Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk as Russian forces press their offensive.
June 11: President Zelenskyy says the battle for Sievierodonetsk is pivotal for the fate of the Donbas.
June 12: Russia warns the United States against supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles.
June 13: Russian forces destroy the last bridge connecting Sievierodonetsk to Lysychansk.
June 14: NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to discuss further support for Ukraine.
June 15: Leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visit Kyiv.
June 16: The European Commission recommends granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership.
June 17: Ukrainian forces are ordered to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk.
June 18: Russian forces claim to have captured several settlements near Lysychansk.
June 19: Fighting intensifies around Lysychansk, the last major city in Luhansk Oblast still under Ukrainian control.
June 20: Ukrainian officials acknowledge that the situation in Lysychansk is becoming increasingly difficult.
June 21: The European Union formally grants Ukraine candidate status for EU membership.
June 22: Russian forces continue their assault on Lysychansk, attempting to encircle the city.
June 23: Moldova also receives candidate status for EU membership.
June 24: Ukrainian forces begin to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk to avoid encirclement.
June 25: Russian forces capture Sievierodonetsk, marking a significant victory in their offensive in the Donbas.
June 26: Russian forces intensify their shelling of Lysychansk, preparing for a final assault on the city.
June 27: A missile strike hits a shopping mall in Kremenchuk, killing at least 20 people.
June 28: G7 leaders meet in Germany and pledge further support for Ukraine.
June 29: NATO leaders meet in Madrid and agree to significantly increase their military presence in Eastern Europe.
June 30: Russian forces continue their assault on Lysychansk, making incremental gains. Russian forces withdraw from Snake Island.

July 2022

July 1: Russian forces intensify their shelling of Lysychansk.
July 2: Ukrainian forces withdraw from Lysychansk, ceding control of the city to Russian forces.
July 3: Russia claims full control of Luhansk Oblast after capturing Lysychansk.
July 4: Russian forces begin to focus their efforts on capturing the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast.
July 5: Fighting intensifies around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as Russian forces push their offensive.
July 6: Ukrainian forces launch counterattacks in the Kherson region in an attempt to retake territory occupied by Russian forces.
July 7: The United States announces another security assistance package for Ukraine, including more HIMARS.
July 8: Russian forces continue to shell Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, causing significant damage and casualties.
July 9: Ukrainian forces claim to have destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast.
July 10: Fighting continues along the eastern front line, with neither side making significant gains.
July 11: Russia launches missile strikes on several cities across Ukraine, including Kharkiv and Odesa.
July 12: Ukrainian forces continue to target Russian military positions in the Kherson region.
July 13: Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN meet in Istanbul to discuss a plan to resume grain exports from Ukrainian ports.
July 14: A Russian missile strike hits the city of Vinnytsia, killing dozens of people, including children.
July 15: The EU approves a new package of sanctions against Russia.
July 16: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides exchanging artillery fire.
July 17: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy dismisses the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General.
July 18: Russian forces continue to shell civilian areas in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
July 19: Russian President Putin visits Iran to meet with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
July 20: Ukrainian forces reportedly strike the Antonivka Road Bridge in Kherson, a key supply route for Russian forces.
July 21: Russia resumes gas flows to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after a period of maintenance.
July 22: Ukraine and Russia sign a UN-brokered deal to resume grain exports from Ukrainian ports.
July 23: Russia launches a missile strike on the port of Odesa, casting doubt on the grain export deal.
July 24: Ukrainian forces continue to target Russian military positions in the Kherson region, using HIMARS.
July 25: Russian forces continue their shelling of civilian areas in the Donbas.
July 26: The first grain shipment is prepared to leave Odesa under the UN-brokered deal.
July 27: Russian forces reportedly capture the Vuhlehirsk Power Plant, a strategic asset in the Donbas.
July 28: The first grain shipment leaves Odesa, marking a significant step towards alleviating the global food crisis.
July 29: A prison in Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, holding Ukrainian prisoners of war, is shelled, killing dozens. Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the attack.
July 30: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties on the other.
July 31: Russian forces continue to shell civilian areas in Kharkiv.

August 2022

August 1: The first commercial ship carrying grain leaves Odesa since the start of the war.
August 2: A UN fact-finding mission is announced to investigate the Olenivka prison attack.
August 3: Fighting intensifies in the Kherson region as Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive.
August 4: Amnesty International releases a report accusing Ukrainian forces of endangering civilians by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas.
August 5: Russian forces continue to shell Nikopol, a city across the Dnipro River from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
August 6: Ukrainian forces reportedly strike the Antonivka Rail Bridge in Kherson, further disrupting Russian supply lines.
August 7: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides exchanging artillery fire.
August 8: Ukrainian officials report that Russian forces are using the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a shield, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to target Russian positions.
August 9: Explosions rock a Russian airbase in Crimea, causing significant damage and casualties.
August 10: More explosions are reported in Crimea, raising questions about the security of Russian-held territory.
August 11: The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is shelled, raising fears of a nuclear disaster.
August 12: The UN calls for a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
August 13: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.
August 14: Russian forces continue to shell civilian areas in Kharkiv.
August 15: President Zelenskyy warns that Russia could commit provocations at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
August 16: More explosions are reported in Crimea, including at an ammunition depot.
August 17: UN Secretary-General António Guterres meets with President Zelenskyy in Lviv to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
August 18: President Zelenskyy meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Lviv.
August 19: UN Secretary-General António Guterres meets with President Putin in Moscow to discuss the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the grain export deal.
August 20: Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist ideologue, is killed in a car bombing near Moscow. Russia blames Ukraine for the attack, which Ukraine denies.
August 21: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides exchanging artillery fire.
August 22: Russian forces continue to shell civilian areas in Mykolaiv.
August 23: French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with President Putin about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
August 24: Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day, marking 31 years since its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
August 25: The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is temporarily disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid due to damage caused by shelling.
August 26: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announces that it will send a mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the coming days.
August 27: Fighting continues in the Donbas and Kherson regions, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.
August 28: Russian forces continue to shell civilian areas in the Sumy region.

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Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (8 April – 28 August 2022)