The city was considered strategically significant to Russian forces due to having a bridge across the Southern Bug river and its proximity to the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant.
[9][10] At 10:00, the column approached the Ukrainian position, and the leading BMP was disabled during a battle, which slowed down the Russian advance.
[10][9] On 2 March, elements of the 126th Coastal Defence Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet advanced northwest towards the city of Voznesensk from Mykolaiv, attempting to find a crossing over the Southern Bug river.
[7][2] In preparation, Yevgeniy Velychko, the mayor of the city and one of the Ukrainian commanders, stated that local businessmen helped Ukrainian forces create numerous roadblocks and destroyed a bridge over the Mertvovod River [uk] in Voznesensk, as well as digging out the shoreline of the river so that Russian vehicles could not ford it.
Russian airborne troops were dropped to the southwest of the city, while an armored column advanced from the southeast, staging in the neighboring village of Rakove [uk].
Ukrainian soldiers advanced on foot, attacking Russian vehicles with American-supplied FGM-148 Javelin missiles, destroying at least three tanks.
[7][2] The 80th Air Assault Brigade retook Andriichykove, claiming to have killed 30 Russian airborne troops while losing 10 of their own soldiers.