Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Kyiv offensive

Kyiv offensive was a battle fought in 1920 at Ukraine. It was part of the Polish–Soviet War, which ran from 1919 to 1921. The recorded result: Red Army victory.

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Polish-Ukrainian troops enter Kyiv, C.E.1920.
Polish-Ukrainian troops enter Kyiv, C.E.1920.. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1920
WhereUkraine50.450N, 30.517E
OutcomeRed Army victory
BelligerentsSecond Polish Republic; Ukrainian People's RepublicagainstRussian SFSR; Ukrainian SSR
Part ofPolish–Soviet War1919 to 1921

Where it sits in the Polish–Soviet War

Battles for Vilnius, 1918Battle of Bereza Kartuska, 1919Battle of Lida, 1919Battle of Warsaw, 1920Kyiv offensive, 1920Battle of Radzymin, 1920Battle of Wołodarka, 1920Battle of Lwów, 1920Battle of Dęblin and Mińsk Mazowiecki, 1920Lipno Operation, 1920Battle of Kock, 1920Battle of Daugavpils, 1920Battle of Letychiv, 1920Battle of Koziatyn, 1920Battle of Czarnobyl, 1920Battle of Berezina, 1920Battle of Głębokie, 1920Battle of Ladami, 1920Battle of Gieranony, 1920First Battle of Grodno, 1920Battle of Czortkowem, 1920Battle of Ostrołęka, 1920Battle of Zarębami Kościelnymi, 1920Battle of Łysowem, 1920Battle of Dorohuskiem, 1920Battle of Kaczkowem, 1920Battle of Mława, 1920Battle of Długosiodłem, 1920Battle of Makowem, 1920Battle of Przewodowem, 1920Battle of Ossów, 1920Battle of the Wkra, 1920Battle of Nasielsk, 1920Battle of Cyców, 1920Battle of Zadwórze, 1920Battle of Wyszków, 1920Battle of Mława (1920), 1920Battle of Białystok, 1920Battle of Komarów, 1920Battle of Sejny, 1920Battle of Dytiatyn, 1920Battle of Prużany, 1920Battle of the Niemen River, 1920Battle of Kojdanowem, 192019181920Kyiv offensive, 1920
47 placed engagements of the Polish–Soviet War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1920 (year precision)
to 13 June 1920
PlaceUkraine
50.450N, 30.517E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength8 infantry divisions; 1 cavalry division; 2 understrength Ukrainian divisions.; 64,000 men initially.8 infantry divisions; 2 cavalry divisions; later also 1st Cavalry Army.; Over 50,000 men initially, including 15,000 battle-ready soldiers.
Commanders
Kyiv offensiveKyiv offensiveBattle of KievBattle of KievBattle of KyivSiege of KyivSack of KyivBattle of KievZhytomyrChernobylCherkasyNizhynKorostenChernihivBila Tserkva100 km50.450N, 30.517E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Kyiv offensive
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Kyiv offensive today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-09-24. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 193 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 83 to 216 m, 133 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 56% built-up, 35% tree cover, 8% water.

built-up: 56%tree cover: 35%water: 8%built-up 56%tree cover 35%water 8%
west to east, 10.0 km90 to 207 mnorth to south, 10.0 km90 to 200 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 11 times between AD 968 and 1943.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1920

Kyiv offensive is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 301 in present-day Ukraine.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2600516, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Kiev offensive (1920), revision 1376541758, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.