Russian Airborne Failed To Capture Ukraine’s Hostomel Airport

A clash of strategies, unmatched heroism, and devastating losses defined the battle for Hostomel Airport, a key engagement that shaped the trajectory of the war in Ukraine.

The OSINT community WarMonitor has conducted an analysis of these events and recalled how a key Russian operation, intended by the Kremlin to capture Ukraine within three days, ultimately failed.

In the early hours of February 24, 2022, minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the start of his renewed invasion, two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles struck the parade square of the Ukrainian National Guard’s 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade base near Hostomel Airport. Though the missiles landed on an empty area, their aim was clear: to neutralize Ukrainian defenses and clear the path for a strategic air assault on Hostomel Airport, a critical gateway to Kyiv.

The events that followed painted a harrowing picture of modern warfare, with Ukraine’s defenders battling against overwhelming odds in one of the conflict’s most consequential engagements.

Despite the precision of the initial missile strikes, the Ukrainian response was swift. Around 200 conscripts from the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade moved out from their base to establish defensive positions around the airport, armed only with small arms, Soviet-era anti-aircraft missiles, and anti-tank weapons. Reinforcements from the 1st Operational Brigade and Omega anti-terrorist units joined shortly after, but the combined force remained understrength—less than a brigade-sized element—forcing them to operate in small, dispersed groups.

Meanwhile, 170 kilometers away at Bolshoy Bokov Airfield, a large Russian air assault force prepared for an ambitious operation. The force included 34 helicopters carrying elite VDV airborne troops, supported by 10 KA-52 attack helicopters and several MI-24 and MI-28 gunships. Their objective: seize Hostomel Airport and use it as a staging ground for a massive airlift of reinforcements, including armored vehicles and additional troops, into the heart of Ukraine.

The first wave of Russian helicopters flew low along the Dnipro River, evading radar but drawing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft teams stationed along the riverbanks. Two attack helicopters—a KA-52 and an MI-28—were shot down before reaching their target. The remaining helicopters split into two groups: one to engage Ukrainian defenses directly at the airport, and the other to disrupt Ukrainian reinforcements from the south.

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