Chernihiv, situated in northern Ukraine, lies approximately 50km (31 miles) from the Belarusian border.
Serving as the administrative hub of the broader Chernihiv region, the city endured a harrowing two-month-long siege by Russian forces in the initial phases of the conflict.
After Russia’s unsuccessful bid to capture Kyiv, positioned 125km northeast of Chernihiv, the Russian military withdrew from the city.
With the departure of Moscow’s troops, concerns arose regarding whether the Russian assaults on civilian sites within the city qualified as war crimes. Russia has consistently refuted such allegations.