The battle of Makariv was a military engagement in the town of Makariv in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, that happened during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The battle lasted from 27 February 2022 to 25 March 2022, the last day that fighting was reported in Makariv. Shelling of the town continued until 31 March, and the Makariv settlement hromada was fully liberated the next day, on 1 April.
Following the liberation of the area, it was discovered that over 200 civilians had been murdered by the Russian occupying forces in the territory of the Makariv settlement hromada. This often included cases of torture, elderly killed and people shot in the head with their hands tied to their back.
On 27 February 2022, Ukrainian civilians informed the Ukrainian Armed Forces that a Russian column of 15 tanks, 25 armoured personnel carriers and 15 Ural-4320 vehicles passed through Makariv. They were organized in three convoys and also carried flamethrowers, missiles, self-propelled artillery and fuel. Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko wrote that they were in the direction of Kyiv or Zhytomyr.[7] Fighting started later that day on Makariv. Russian forces attempted to reach Kyiv through the town. According to Ukrinform, Russian forces placed women and children on personal carriers as human shields. At least one Russian tank was destroyed. Part of the Russian column entered the highway connecting Kyiv and Zhytomyr.[8] On the morning of 28 February, a Russian convoy carrying military equipment near Makariv was destroyed by Ukrainian forces.[9] On 2 March, the Ukrainian forces claimed that they had fully taken back Makariv. This would have been done by the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 95th Air Assault Brigade, which entrenched themselves in Makariv after its liberation.[4]
On 8 March, after heavy fighting in the area around Makariv, a Ukrainian commander supposed that there was still a Russian column nearby that needed to be destroyed. It was spotted by Ukrainian explorers who communicated that they were moving towards the position of a Ukrainian T-64BV tank crewed by senior sergeant Serhiy Vasich and his subordinates, senior soldier Vitaliy Parkhomuk and soldier Oleh Svynchuk, all of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Once the Russian forces were within the range of the tank, Vasich gave the order to shoot at them, with a Russian tank being hit. The accompanying Russian vehicles came into fire as a result of several Ukrainian accurate shots, the Russian infantry had to disperse and artillery support was called. Russian soldiers hid on buildings of the town, while Russian vehicles attempted to target the tank. The Ukrainian tank later entered the flank of the Russians and started firing high-explosive fragmentation shells. However, a Russian anti-tank guided missile detonated the munition within the tank, killing Vasich, Parkhomuk and Svynchuk. Ultimately, the crew destroyed six units of Russian war vehicles and contributed to the Ukrainian counteroffensive that kicked the Russians out of Makariv. All three of them were posthumously given the Hero of Ukraine award.[3]