What was happening around Ukraine on 25 March 2022?

What did the war look like on 25 March 2022? Reports from the preceding days, 23 and 24 March, point to a conflict that was shifting in several directions at once.

Pressure on the front

In Chernihiv, troops managed to push back part of the Russian forces that had encircled the city for weeks, according to reports of 23 March. The same day, an official said Russia had begun to give priority to its operations in the Donbas region, including around Luhansk.

Chornobyl staff under threat

On 24 March, the IAEA said workers at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant were at risk because of Russian shelling of a neighbouring town. The agency said this endangered the homes and families of the operational staff who maintain nuclear and radiation safety.

Sanctions widen

Also on 24 March, Australia imposed sanctions on Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko and his family for supporting the Russian invasion. Canberra also targeted 22 people it described as Russian propagandists and disinformation operatives, including managing editors at Russia Today, the Strategic Culture Foundation, InfoRos and NewsFront.

A separate flashpoint in the region

Elsewhere in the region, the government of Artsakh reported on 24 March that Azerbaijani soldiers had crossed the Line of Contact and taken control of the village of Farukh. Women and children were evacuated from the nearby village of Khramort. Russian peacekeepers were reported to be negotiating with Azerbaijan.

Taken together, these reports from 23 and 24 March show a fighting line that was moving around Chernihiv, attention turning toward Donbas, safety concerns at a nuclear site and a widening sanctions effort abroad.