World Affairs International

According to Ukrainian reports, the city of Irpin has been liberated by Ukrainian forces.

On March 23rd, the mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn, the Mayor of Irpin, announced that Ukrainian forces controlled 80% of the city (contested by a Ukrainian member of parliament, who claimed Russia retained control over half the city). Following the Ukrainian counteroffensive, reports of Ukrainian control over the city are plausible, but Western intelligence has not yet confirmed a Ukrainian victory. Irpin would be one of the first major settlements liberated from Russian occupation upon confirmation.

Irpin has been the site of some of the heaviest fighting since the Russian invasion. Numerous war crimes were perpetrated by Russian forces in the area, including the killing of Brent Renaud, a journalist previously working for the New York Times, and the indiscriminate shelling of a refugee convoy.

Multiple airstrikes and artillery barrages have been conducted on the city, even as many civilians arm themselves or continue to attempt to flee. Though the Russian Army’s broader defensive posture could mean pulling back from attempts to take the city, incoming missilry and artillery are likely to remain unabated.