ORDER OF BATTLE // February 24, 2022
Battle of Antonov Airport
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 400–500 estimated
Russie
200–300
Medium-confidence figure
Ukraine
200
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Antonov Airport, fought at Hostomel in Kyiv Oblast on the opening day of Russia's full-scale invasion, was an early engagement of the Kyiv offensive. Russian forces numbering 200–300 sought to seize the airport, which bore strategic value as a potential air-bridgehead that could facilitate the rapid insertion of additional troops toward the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian defenders, numbering around 200 under commanders Valeriy Chybineyev and Mamuka Mamulashvili, sustained severe casualties—estimated between 200 and 225—reflecting the intensity of the fighting. The engagement was a focal point of Russian efforts to quickly establish a foothold near Kyiv in the opening hours of the invasion.
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