Russian forces never managed to capture the capital city of the oblast, Mykolaiv, although they attacked the city in February–March 2022. They managed to occupy territory in the southeast of the oblast, reaching as far as Voznesensk in March 2022 before withdrawing to the extreme southeast, bordering Kherson Oblast.
On 21 September 2022, it was reported that Russian-occupied areas of Mykolaiv Oblast would be incorporated into the Russian administration for the Kherson Oblast.[1] Russia declared that it had annexed the Kherson Oblast nine days later.
On 10–11 November 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated Snihurivka[2][3] and the surrounding area[4][5] as part of the Ukrainian southern counteroffensive, in which a large swathe of territory in the west of Kherson Oblast—including the city of Kherson—was also liberated. By 12 November 2022, Russian forces had been expelled from the entire oblast apart from the outer portion of the Kinburn Peninsula in the far south.[6]
In late April, Russian forces prepared a referendum to integrate occupied areas into the Republic of Crimea as well as appoint a governor for the areas.[7]Russian passports and rubles are said to be issued and given out by September 1, which have been already issued and given out in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia administrations.[7][8]
On 27 June 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine claimed to have detained a former deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council who was collaborating with Russian forces in Mykolaiv Oblast. He had an idea for the separation of Mykolaiv Oblast from Ukraine and the creation of a Russian backed separatist enclave called the "Mykolaiv People's Republic", he reportedly leaked information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine, hoping to obtain an executive position in the occupying administration. The plan was for the separatist enclave to exist until Russia's war in Ukraine was over, then the plan was for the "MPR" to be annexed to Russia. The Russians had allegedly also promised the collaborator an executive position in the "MPR" administration as a reward for his work if they managed to occupy the region.[9]
Map showing the former core of the administration, in dark blue (now liberated)
On 2 September, Russian forces captured the settlement of Pervomaiske, which remained the second largest in the occupied authority until the beginning of Russian withdrawal and the settlement of Partyzanske remained contested.[12][13][failed verification]
On 21 September, it was announced that the area surrounding Snihurivka as well as the outer portion of the Kinburn Peninsula, which constituted the parts of Mykolaiv Oblast that were under Russian control at the time, would be incorporated into Russia's administration in Kherson Oblast, ending the Nikolaev military-civilian administration. These areas would eventually on 30 September be annexed by Russia.[14][15][16]
On 8 August 2022, Ekaterina Gubareva, deputy head of the Kherson Civilian-Military Administration announced the annexation of occupied territories of Mykolaiv Oblast. She also claimed that in some occupied towns, Russian mobile communications have begun to work. According to her, such a decision was made in order to provide the population with social payments in the "liberated" territories, as well as to establish mobile communications and television broadcasting.[17][18]
On 13 August 2022, an article published by Tass, claimed that Yuriy Barbashov, governor of occupied territories claimed that a referendum in Snihurivka would take place to join Russia. The referendum would be aligned as the one in the Kherson Oblast.[19]
On 11 September, following a major Ukrainian counteroffensive, it was announced that the proposed annexation referendums would be "indefinitely" postponed.[20][21]
On 30 September, Russia claimed to officially annex the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and DonetskOblasts. The occupied areas of the Mykolaiv Oblast including Snihurivka and Oleksandrivka were streamlined into the Kherson Oblast claimed by Russia.[15] The United NationsGeneral Assembly subsequently passed a resolution calling on countries not to recognise what it described as an "attempted illegal annexation" and demanded that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw".[22]
Following the Southern Ukrainian Counteroffensive, it was reported that Russian troops were leaving Snihurivka and evacuating the population into Crimea and the occupied Kherson Oblast.[23] During this time, Ukrainian forces recaptured Ternovi Pody and Liubomyrivka, west of occupied Tsentralne,[24][25] after conducting several raids.[26]
On 9 November, the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the withdrawal of Russian forces from the right bank of the Dnieper River. The next day, Ukrainian forces re-entered the town of Snihurivka and raised the Ukrainian flag.[27] A few other small settlements remained under Russian control.[28][29][failed verification] By 11 November Ukrainian forces had regained control of almost all of the oblast with only the outer portion of the Kinburn Peninsula remaining under Russian occupation.[4][30]
A mass grave was found in Snihurivka with 27 dead civilians. At the same time, it was emphasized that no mass burial sites were found in the city, as was the massacre inBucha, Kyiv oblast. All the bodies were buried in individual graves.[33][34][35][36][37] Much of the city was damaged and destroyed.[38][39] A tomato plant, built in 2018,[40] was bombed and destroyed using grad multiple rocket launchers[41][42]
Captured by Russia 3 March 2022.[46] Recaptured by Ukraine 27 April 2022.[47] Recaptured by Russia 23 May 2022.[48] Recaptured by Ukraine November 2022.
^On 30 September 2022, Russia declared that it had annexed Kherson Oblast. Russia also controlled two small parts of Mykolaiv Oblast at the time, and it streamlined these parts into Kherson Oblast. The rest of Mykolaiv Oblast was not annexed/claimed, and neither were the other formerly-occupied parts of Mykolaiv Oblast that Russia had withdrawn from several months earlier. The two parts that Russia controlled at the time were the city of Snihurivka and its surroundings, as well as the outer portion of the Kinburn Peninsula.
^As of November 10, the outer portion of the Kinburn Peninsula in the far south is reportedly the last area of Mykolaiv Oblast that is still occupied by Russia.
Ukraine
Russia 18 March 2022.
