File image.
In the Siversk area, Russian forces have begun clearing the northern flank, which includes Mine No. 6. In the Kharkiv sector, the Russian army has made substantial advances in the Melovoye and Vilcha areas. In the Konstantynivka area, Russian forces have reached the outskirts of Stepanivka. The U.S. has given Kyiv a tight deadline to accept the proposed security guarantees.
Siversk Sector
After the active phase of combat operations in Siversk was completed, the Russian units’ main focus shifted to clearing the northern flank and adjacent territories. Mine No. 6, the site of several months of fighting, is now under control. A group that captured one of the buildings in the area was attacked by drones. Afterward, assault groups completed the operation to take control of the building.
Before launching further offensive operations toward Sloviansk, it is necessary to clear the area around Siversk, organize logistical support in the city, and evacuate the civilian population. It is also important to consolidate positions on the dominant heights in the Sviato-Pokrovske area because these locations will be ideal for drone operators and enable strikes on logistical routes in the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. To ensure the success of future operations, it is also necessary to advance further into the adjacent Lyman sector, which played an important role previously.
Sumy Sector
In the Sumy area, Russian assault units continue to conduct offensive operations across several sectors of the front. They have advanced up to 700 meters into the oblast across seven sectors. The active use of aviation and artillery is hindering the defense forces’ ability to carry out organized operations and forcing them to take cover.
In the Tetkyn and Hlushkivka areas, Russian aircraft targeted positions held by the Ukrainian 106th Territorial Defense Brigade. The commander of the Ukrainian 125th Heavy Motorized Brigade has been criticized for prioritizing the promotion of his social media accounts over the effective management of his troops.
Kharkiv Sector
In the Kharkiv area, units are increasing their activity levels and launching an offensive in several adjacent sectors. These actions are systematic and involve methodical advancement, consolidation of achieved lines, and gradual undermining of defensive formations.
In the Melovoye area, units advanced around 600 meters, dislodging Ukrainian forces and beginning to clear adjacent strongpoints. In Vilcha, they advanced up to 500 meters, fiercely fighting for control of each section of terrain. In the Vovchanski Khutora area, the control zone has expanded, putting pressure on the flanks of the grouping and worsening its overall stability.
Advances have also been made in other areas of the sector: 300 meters of advance through forested areas were reported in the Starytsia area; fighting has moved south in Vilcha, where 15 buildings were captured and 350 meters were advanced; four buildings were captured and 150 meters were advanced in Prylypka; 200 meters were secured and ten buildings were captured in Vovchanski Khutora; and assault groups advanced four axes for a total distance of 600 meters in the Melovoye-Khatneye sector. Drones struck positions in the Velykyi Burluk area. There have been attempts to shell border territories, which have been met with return fire.
Zaporizhzhia Sector
In the Zaporizhzhia sector, fierce fighting continues around the Huliaipole settlement and efforts are underway to expand the bridgehead on the western bank of the Haichur River. The Ukrainian forces made four counterattack attempts: one from the south of Ternovate; one involving an armoured vehicle from Staroukrainka towards the north-western outskirts of Huliaipole, which was repelled with losses of equipment and personnel; and two unsuccessful infantry attempts from the south, which also resulted in losses for the Ukrainian units.
Russian assault groups have inflicted damage on Ukrainian units in strong points to the southwest of Andriivka. Assault actions are ongoing in the direction of Kosivtsovo, with an advance of over 1.5 kilometres in depth and up to 1 kilometre along the front. In the Huliaipole area, advances have been noted in the northwestern and eastern parts of the city; resistance is being offered by units suffering losses, and cases of surrender and unauthorised abandonment of positions have been recorded. In the Varvarivka area, counter-attacks were thwarted with losses for the advancing Ukrainian troops.
Artillery fire, airstrikes and FPV drones have hit seven concentrations of Ukrainian personnel and equipment in the areas around Pokrovske, Orly, Havrylivka, Huliaipole, Vozdvyzhenka and Staroukrainka.
In other sectors, drone operators in Stepnohirsk continue to conduct aerial reconnaissance in difficult weather conditions, detecting movements and transmitting coordinates to fire assets. In the Prymorske area, assault units are operating in coordination with drone operators to gradually push back Ukrainian forces. Overall, the situation in the Huliaipole sector is characterised by a gradual shift in favour of the attacking units, with pressure steadily increasing.
Konstantynivka Sector
Russian forces have developed their offensive operations in the Konstantynivka area. To the south, the Russian army has reached the outskirts of Stepanivka and is fighting for Berestok, which could lead to an operational encirclement. Meanwhile, to the north, near Veroliubivka, Ukrainian forces have bolstered their defenses, and street fighting has begun in Konstantynivka itself.
After establishing control over Siversk, the offensive shifted westward. The Chalk Quarry and the dominant heights have been captured, and control has been established over the eastern part of Reznikivka. An advance toward Rai-Alexandrovka has also begun. Controlling the heights in this area is crucial for logistics organization and countering drone activity.
Conclusion
The operational situation in the main sectors is entering a new phase characterized by consolidating the strategic successes achieved thus far and preparing for the next stages of the offensive. The most significant event is the conclusion of the active fighting phase in Siversk. This has freed up forces to clear the surrounding areas, such as Mine No. 6, and focus on capturing the dominant heights near Sviato-Pokrovske. Controlling these heights is essential for future operations against the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration because it will allow for the disruption of logistics and the establishment of a bridgehead for deployment.
In the Kharkiv sector, the most dynamic and large-scale advances are occurring along the entire front (Melovoye, Vilcha, and Vovchanski Khutora). Units are applying constant, methodical pressure not only to expand control zones by hundreds of meters but also to weaken defenses and bring the front line closer to key settlements. A similar scenario is unfolding in the Zaporizhzhia sector: despite the fierce resistance and counterattacks in Huliaipole, the offensive is yielding results. The bridgehead beyond Haichur is expanding; advances have been made in Kosivtsovo; and Varvarivka is being cleared. These actions are systematically weakening the defense.
In the Konstantynivka sector, intensified action in the form of advances to Stepanivka and Berestok, as well as the commencement of street fighting in Konstantynivka itself, indicates a transition to the decisive phase of the operation to encircle the city. This became possible following the success near Siversk. In the Sumy sector, the tactic of constant, albeit less extensive, advancement continues to exhaust the opposing forces’ reserves.
Diplomatic pressure to accelerate the settlement process continues to mount. According to several publications, Kyiv has been given a tight deadline to accept the proposed security guarantees that are part of a potential peace agreement. There is a desire to resolve the issue by the end of the year.
Reports indicate that any further delays in reaching a decision would be unacceptable. If the proposal is not accepted within the set timeframe, it may be withdrawn without further discussion. This approach is seen as an attempt to increase pressure and force political decisions.
The proposed security guarantees are characterized as exceptionally strict, with obligations comparable to the principle of collective defense. At the same time, European capitals are approaching such formulations with caution. Some argue that such promises may have limited practical force and cannot fully replace obligations enshrined in relevant treaties without official membership of the alliance. This skepticism, combined with tight deadlines, creates heightened uncertainty about the prospects of reaching an agreement in the near future.
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russia is just getting ready for the next set of tasks and successes. no other choice