What happened

Hours after Vladimir Putin announced the invasion, Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) launched a helicopter assault on Hostomel (Antonov) Airport near Kyiv on 24 February 2022, aiming to secure an air bridge for a rapid seizure of the capital. An initial wave of 20-34 helicopters carrying 200-300 paratroopers met unexpectedly fierce resistance from Ukrainian National Guard troops of the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade, reinforced by the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, the Georgian Legion and Ukrainian Air Force units; at least two helicopters were shot down and the Russians were forced to retreat by evening. Russia renewed the assault on 25 February with a larger force, eventually capturing the airport, which it held until withdrawing on 2 April. The Antonov An-225 Mriya, the world's largest aircraft, was destroyed in the fighting, confirmed by Russian state television footage on 4 March. Casualty estimates vary widely and are disputed: The New York Times and Ukrainian sources cited intercepted logs suggesting roughly 300 Russian paratroopers killed, while Russia claimed none; Russia claimed 200 Ukrainian dead, which Ukraine disputed. Analysts, including the Atlantic Council and CNAS, widely regard the battle as a turning point that disrupted Russia's plan to end the war within days by preventing a rapid fall of Kyiv. This record introduces this pivotal opening battle of the full-scale invasion to the site's airbase/airport-strike coverage, added following the extension of the backfill window back to 2020.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.