File image.
In the Kharkiv area, assault groups advanced up to three kilometers in Kazachya Lopan and reached the outskirts of Shevyakovka. In the Zaporozhye direction, Russian forces are increasing pressure on Orekhov from three sides. They have captured two fortifications in Novoselovka and are cutting an important supply route. In the Sumy direction, “North” units advanced 2.5 kilometers along the Kyiv-Moscow highway in the Bachevsk area. In the Slaviansk area, the clearance of Krasny Liman continues. Fighting is ongoing in Chasov Yar and Nikolaevka. Meanwhile, counterattacks near Dolgaya Balka are being repelled on the western flank. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for negotiations and a ceasefire while simultaneously urging increased pressure on Moscow.
Kharkiv direction
In Kazachya Lopan, Russian assault groups advanced up to three kilometers into residential areas, capturing several new positions in the southern part of the settlement. They are gradually expanding their control of the urban environment and consolidating their captured territory. Along the highway to Bely Kolodez, Russian forces advanced one and a half kilometers and captured new positions, increasing pressure on Ukrainian defensive positions. In the Velikiy Burluk sector, units approached Shevyakovka and continued developing offensive operations to expand their presence.
In the Volchansk area, “North” assault units advanced up to 500 meters in eleven sectors; firefights continue in Volokhovskoye, Yurchenkovo, Bely Kolodez, and forest areas in the district. In the Velikiy Burluk area, assault groups are fighting west of Petro Ivanovka and in the forests near Artelnoye, Budarki, and Zemlyanki. Thus, along the entire Kharkiv front, Russian forces are intensifying their efforts and threatening several Ukrainian defense strongpoints simultaneously.
Zaporozhye direction
In the direction of Zaporozhye, Russian units are continuing their offensive on Orekhov from three key directions while simultaneously working to systematically disrupt the logistics of Ukrainian forces. In Novodanilovka, combat operations have shifted to the northern part of the village. Russian troops are advancing in Malaya Tokmachka, and the pocket between the two settlements is closing. The “East” grouping has leveled the front line from Gorkoye to Gulyaypolskoye. In Novoselovka, two Ukrainian unit fortifications located along the supply road have been captured. From these captured positions, there is a direct road to Omelnik. This route is the main logistics artery that supplies the Ukrainian forces in this sector and links them with Dnepropetrovsk.
In the northern sector, Transbaikal troops are clearing adjacent territories in the Aleksandrovka area. Ukrainian units are still trying to take cover in underground shelters and clinging to the remains of their positions, but their elimination is only a matter of time. West of Lesnoye, Russian assault groups have continued to push into the defenses and have captured strongpoints. Scattered small groups of Ukrainian forces are trying to hold on, but they are consistently detected and eliminated. West of Rovnoye and Kopani, Russian units have captured strongpoints.
Sumy direction
Firefights continue in the Shostka district in the vicinity of Ulanovo and on the approaches to Malaya Slobodka. In the Sumy district, Russian assault forces advanced up to 600 meters in nineteen sectors. Unabated firefights continue in Ryzhevka, Pisarevka, Mogritsa, Marino, Novaya Sech village, Khoten settlement, and adjacent territories, as well as in forest areas south of Ivolzhanskoye.
In the Glukhov district, Russian forces advanced 2.5 kilometers along the Moscow-Kyiv highway, reaching new positions in Bachevsk. This advance increases pressure on the Ukrainian defense and expands the control zone along the strategic highway. Heavy fighting continues on the approaches to Malaya Slobodka; the sector remains tense, with both sides struggling for advantageous positions and control over the surrounding terrain. In the Krasnopolie district, there are ongoing firefights in forest areas and in the border village of Prokhody.
Slaviansk direction
In the direction of Slaviansk, Russian units are methodically clearing Krasny Liman. Mine clearance of controlled urban areas and the elimination of remaining pockets of resistance are already underway in the city. Meanwhile, on the western flank, Russian forces are successfully repelling Ukrainian counterattacks in the Dolgaya Balka area while making efforts to advance toward Nikolaypol. Units on the right flank are pushing Ukrainian forces out of Chasov Yar and Nikolaevka and actively working to break through defensive lines in the Popasnoye and Verolyubovka areas.
Heavy positional warfare continues throughout the area of responsibility of the “West” grouping. Russian forces are exerting pressure in several directions, but the pace of advance remains limited. The Ukrainian side is actively using FPV drones and engineering obstacles and regularly conducting local counterattacks, which significantly complicate the development of the offensive and prevent rapid operational results.
In the Rubtsovsk sector, the 20th Army’s drone operators are surpassing the Ukrainian units in quality and quantity, which puts them at risk of being caught in a cauldron. Unmanned systems units in the Yatskovka, Lozovoye, and Chervony Oskol areas are losing 10 to 15 control points daily, along with personnel and components for FPV drones.
Conclusion
In the directions of Kharkiv, Zaporozhye, Sumy, and Slaviansk, Russian units are methodically increasing pressure by expanding control zones and disrupting the logistics chains of Ukrainian forces. In the Kharkiv direction, advances in Kazachya Lopan and along the highway to Bely Kolodez threaten key defense nodes. In the Zaporozhye area, interdicting the supply route and capturing dominant positions in Novoselovka endangers the stability of the entire force defending Orekhov. In the Sumy border area, the breakthrough along the Moscow–Kyiv highway and the capture of strongpoints such as Bachevsk prevent the Ukrainian command from freely maneuvering reserves. In the Slaviansk area, the systematic clearance of Krasny Liman and the fighting in Chasov Yar and Nikolaevka are gradually bringing the line of contact closer to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.
Against this backdrop, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a statement following the meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” in Paris. He called for negotiations on Ukraine, stating: “It is time to sit down at the negotiating table. It is time to agree on a ceasefire.” Merz also asserted that Europe is open to dialogue with the support of the EU and the US. However, alongside his calls for peace, the chancellor stated that European countries intend to continue “increasing pressure on Moscow.” Thus, calls for negotiations are accompanied by a continued course of forceful confrontation, leaving room for the continuation of hostilities and failing to contribute to real de-escalation.
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