Kyiv is devastated after the withdrawal of Russian troops 3:48 (CNN Spanish) — During the first month of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the eyes of the world were concentrated on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Russia attacked the country on multiple fronts. But the northern assault on Kyiv directly threatened Ukraine’s government, which has refused to abandon the capital and was ready to go down with it if the Russians triumphed. That finally did not happen; Russian forces withdrew in the face of Ukrainian resistance and concentrated their attacks in the Donbas, the separatist region raised in 2014 with the support of Moscow, in the east and in the south. The war, which began on February 24, is far from over, with fighting between Russians and Ukrainians in Donbas and other regions intensifying. But the situation in the capital, recently visited by many world leaders – including UN Secretary General António Guterres and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – has changed. This is what a shopping center looked like after being bombed in Kyiv 0:36 This is what you should know about Kyiv and its role in the war in Ukraine. Basic facts Kyiv (also known as kyiv in Russia) is the capital of Ukraine and has a population of approximately 2.8 million people, although a large part was evacuated at the beginning of the conflict. It is located on the banks of the Dnieper River and in the center of the country, about 100 kilometers from the border with Belarus and about 200 kilometers from Russia. Kyiv was founded in the 6th or 7th century, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, and in the 9th century it was the capital of the Slavic state of Kievan Rus, with which both Ukraine and Russia are related. During its long history Kyiv was controlled by Mongols, Poles, Lithuanians, Cossacks, Russians and Soviets. After Ukraine’s independence in 1991, it became the capital of the new republic. Kyiv before the invasion of Russia On February 24, the day the invasion of Russia began, CNN was able to verify that Russian airborne troops had arrived at Hostomel airport, about 20 kilometers from the center of Kyiv. CNN reporter shows how close Russian forces are to the capital 2:41 Russia had attacked the country in four major areas. From Belarus, in the north, in the direction of Kyiv. From Russia, in the northeast, towards Kharkiv. From Donbas, controlled by Russian separatists, to the center of the country. And from Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, to the cities of Kherson, Mariupol and Odessa. In their advance towards Kyiv, Russian troops even took control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, scene of a disaster in 1986 and currently closed due to radioactive contamination. At the end of March Ukraine regained control. During the first month of war, Russian and Ukrainian forces fought on the outskirts of Kyiv, including the Hostomel airport, and several small towns were occupied by Russia, such as Bucha and Irpin. In addition, Kyiv was subjected to numerous aerial, artillery and ballistic missile bombardments. Amanpour visits Kyiv suburb hit by shelling 2:58 But Russian troops failed to take the capital as they were met with strong resistance and in late March began withdrawing from the area amid Russia’s shift in focus to the Donbas region and the south. The fighting around Kyiv has ceased, but it is too early to say that Russia has given up on capturing the Ukrainian capital, despite the change in strategy, according to US and Western officials quoted by CNN. Meanwhile, in the places where the Russian troops withdrew after their failed offensive on Kyiv, the great destruction they caused is still being discovered, and, in the case of Bucha and Irpin, a series of massacres against the civilian population allegedly perpetrated by troops. russians Since the end of the Russian offensive on Kyiv, the city has partially recovered its normal activities, although sporadic bombing continues. Several world leaders have taken the opportunity to visit the government of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. In addition to the aforementioned Guterres and Blinken, also the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Austria, Karl Nehammer, the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, and the Prime Minister from the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, among others.