Battle of Davydiv Brid

Battle of Davydiv Brid
	Part of the southern Ukraine campaign in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
	; Map of combat operations in the vicinity of Davydiv Brid
Date	27 May – 16 June 2022; (2 weeks and 6 days)
Location	Davydiv Brid, Beryslav Raion, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine
Result	Russian victory
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Units involved
	5th Tank Brigade

The battle of Davydiv Brid was a Ukrainian counter-offensive operation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces attempted to recapture part of Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast and tie up Russian resources. The counteroffensive began on 27 May 2022 and was centered near the village of Davydiv Brid, which was initially recaptured by Ukraine; however, they were pushed back over the Inhulets River by 16 June 2022. However, another bridgehead near Lozove was retained by Ukrainian forces.^[1] In a subsequent Ukrainian southern counteroffensive that was launched two and a half months later, Davydiv Brid was reported as captured by Ukrainian forces on 4 October.^[2]

Background

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, in a steep escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which had begun in 2014. The invasion caused Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II,^[3]^[4] with more than 6.5 million Ukrainians fleeing the country^[5] and a third of the population displaced.^[6]^[7] From February 24 to March 1, Russian forces captured most of Kherson Oblast.^[8]^[9]

On 2 March, Russian forces captured Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to be occupied by Russia during the invasion.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13] In March, Russian troops continued their drive into Mykolaiv Oblast, but they were repulsed by the beginning of April.^[14]^[15] After the Ukrainian victories in the battles of Mykolaiv and Voznesensk, the Kherson–Mykolaiv front began to stall.

Battle

On the afternoon of May 27, Ukraine launched a counterattack in Kherson Oblast near Davydiv Brid.^[16] Ukrainian formations, led by the 5th Tank Brigade, with the support of American-made M777 howitzers, crossed the Inhulets River during the night of 27/28 May around Davydiv Brid, 50 miles northeast of Kherson. The Russians retreated from Davydiv Brid to three towns a few miles southwest.^[16] The following day new reports confirmed that Ukrainian forces carried out a successful limited counterattack, forcing Russian forces on the defensive. This Ukrainian counterattack was probably aimed at disrupting Russia's efforts to establish strong defensive positions along the southern axis and to further slow Russia's efforts to consolidate administrative control over occupied southern Ukraine.^[17]

On 31 May, satellite imagery showed that Russian troops had withdrawn from Davydiv Brid and set up positions at locations around the town in the previous few days. It was not clear at the time whether Ukrainian troops had entered the town or had positions near Andriivka and Bilohirka. However, in the evening of the same day, the fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces escalated. On the night between May 31 and 1 June, Ukrainian sources announced that Ukrainian forces had captured the town of Davydiv Brid.^[18]^[17]^[19]

Fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces for Davydiv Brid continued in the first half of June with neither side able to assume full control. Artillery strikes became commonplace on both sides. The Ukrainian counter-offensive on Davydiv Brid was followed by a series of partisan actions by pro-Ukrainian activists, which led to intensified actions by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Kherson region.^[20] On 6 June, Russian sources reported the Ukrainian bridgehead at Davydiv Brid had been destroyed and Ukrainian forces pushed back over the Inhulets River, which was confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) two weeks later, affirming Russian forces had retaken the eastern bank of the river.^[21]

On 13 June, Ukrainian forces were still reported to be engaged in heavy fighting with Russian forces near Davydiv Brid. Ukrainian commanders claimed their forces gradually forced Russian troops back and were testing their second and third lines of defense.^[22] Artillery duels over the river continued between 17 and 21 June, with the ISW reporting Russian forces had pushed back Ukrainian troops sometime before 17 June.^[21] Still, on 5 July, ISW reported that Ukrainian forces retained control of some territory in the area, although precise boundaries were unclear.^[1] On 27 July, Russian forces attempted an assault on the Ukrainian bridgehead, southwest of Davydiv Brid.^[23]

Aftermath

From the end of August, Ukrainian forces again pushed towards Davydiv Brid during a counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast. From 2 to 3 October, Ukrainian forces attacked the town, but were repelled twice.^[24]^[25] Still, by 4 October, Russian forces withdrew and the town was captured by Ukrainian troops.^[26]^[27]