Russia's war on Ukraine. 04.05.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, fighting continued near Bilovody, Vodolaha, and Loknia.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces attacked near Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces advanced near the international border in the area of Kamyanka, carried out an airstrike on Kupyansk, moved west of Makiivka, and attacked near Zahryzove, Kolisnykivka, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Serhiivka, Kopanky, and Hrekivka; fighting took place for Pershotravneve.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces advanced north of Torske, attempted to reach the eastern outskirts of Myrne, and attacked near Ridkodub, Yampolivka, Kolodiazi, Nove, Zelena Dolyna, Myrne, and Torske.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces advanced on the northeastern outskirts of Hryhorivka and attacked near Horivka and Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Chasiv Yar, toward Novomarkove, Mayske, and Bila Hora.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Stupochky.
On the Toretsk direction, the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army advanced to the center of Oleksandropil. Russian forces advanced on the northern outskirts of Novoolenivka, south of Romanivka, east of Zelene Pole, captured the intersection of the T0504 Pokrovsk–Kostyantynivka highway east of Malynivka, advanced near Nova Poltavka, moved from Krymske toward the Novotoretska mine near the T0516 Toretsk–Kostyantynivka highway, and attacked near Toretsk, Krymske, Druzhba, Sukha Balka, Vodyane Druhe, and Yelyzavetivka. The 242nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division attacks Stara Mykolaivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces advanced on the northeastern outskirts of Zvirove, are advancing west of Lysivka, northeast of Shevchenkove, near Kotlyne, and are engaged in fighting for Mykhailivka, Lysivka, and Myroliubivka. They continued assaults near Novotoretske, Novoukrainka, Chunyshyne, Dachenske, and Udachne.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces advanced east of Kotlyarivka and on the southeastern outskirts of Bahatyr. The 27th Motorized Rifle Division of the 2nd Combined Arms Army continues fighting for Novooleksandrivka. The enemy attempted to advance between Novooleksandrivka and Nadiivka, west of Nadiivka, to the eastern outskirts of Novoserhiyivka, toward the outskirts of Kotlyarivka, southwest of Odradne, and to enter Oleksiivka. They attacked near Troitske, Preobrazhenka, Bohdanivka, Konstyantynopil, Andriivka, and Rozlyv.
Ukrainian Defense Forces hold their positions in Bohdanivka and counterattack in Bahatyr
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces advanced south of Vilne Pole, attempted to advance near Fedorivka, and attacked near Pryvilne, Burlatske, Shevchenkove, Novosilka, and Rivnopil.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Vilne Pole and Shevchenkove.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces attacked near Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Stepove, Shcherbaky, and Kamianske.
General conclusion:
Russian forces have advanced near Lyman, Siversk, Novopavlivka, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.
The enemy’s “Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping on the Pokrovsk direction has recently received reinforcements, likely infantry units from the Kursk direction or from reserve.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 180 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 3 enemy assaults in the area of Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 5 times near Zahryzove and in the directions of Novoosynove and Hlushkivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces conducted 12 assaults on the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces near Ridkodub, Yampolivka, Kolodiazi, Torske, and toward Hryhorivka.
On the Siversk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled an enemy assault near Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 6 enemy attacks in the area of Chasiv Yar and in the direction of Mayske, Predtechyne, and Bila Hora.
On the Toretsk direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces 4 times near Toretsk and close to Krymske and Dyliivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy carried out 68 assault and offensive actions. Russian occupying activity was observed near Stara Mykolaivka, Zelene Pole, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Shevchenko, Oleksandropil, Kotlyne, Novoserhiyivka, Novooleksandrivka, Kotlyarivka, Troitske, Andriivka, and in the direction of Romanivka, Malynivka, Nova Poltavka, Myroliubivka, and Oleksiivka. Enemy aviation carried out airstrikes on Shevchenko Pershe.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the invaders carried out 56 attacks. The enemy attempted to advance in the areas of Konstyantynopil, Novosilka, Rivnopil, Pryvilne, and toward Odradne, Zelene Pole, Novopil, Shevchenko, and Bahatyr. Airstrikes targeted Zelene Pole, Novopil, Komyshuvakha, Temyrivka, and Novodarivka. The enemy suffers significant losses.
On the Huliaypole direction, the enemy used unguided aviation rockets against Malynivka and Huliaypole.
On the Orikhiv direction, two combat clashes took place near Novodanylivka and Kamianske. Novoandriivka came under airstrike.
On the Prydniprovske direction, the enemy attempted to approach defense force positions once but was repelled.
On the Kursk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 23 attacks. The enemy carried out 4 airstrikes.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Black Sea: 1 ship, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 6 cruise missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 3 ships, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 8 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
There were no strikes.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 177th Separate Marines Regiment of the Caspian Fleet operates near Myropillya.
The 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Army advances toward Kostyantynivka; its 255th Motorized Rifle Regiment operates in the direction of Myrnohrad.
The 80th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Army operates near Troitske; the division’s 6th Tank Regiment is engaged near Nadiivka; the 35th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 41st Army is deployed near Kotlyarivka.
The 430th Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 200th Artillery Brigade of the 29th Army operate near Bahatyr; the 14th Separate SOF Brigade is engaged near Odradne.
The 1455th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Army operates near Novodanylivka.
Possible operation situation developments:
The plan for the enemy's spring-summer offensive campaign in the Southwestern Theater of Operations may be as follows: a simultaneous breakthrough towards Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka from the south and southeast (from the direction of Toretsk and Vozdvyzhenka), as well as from the northeast (from the direction of Chasiv Yar), followed by an advance towards Kramatorsk from the south while simultaneously advancing towards Slovyansk with the forces of the 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies of the "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping through Lyman. Russian forces may attempt to advance near Kupyansk, Lyman, Novopavlivka, or toward the city of Zaporizhzhia. The Pokrovsk direction is viewed by Ukraine’s military-political leadership as the absolute priority for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Additionally, Russian forces intend to create a buffer zone in the north of Sumy Oblast and pose a threat to the city of Sumy in the coming months.
In Sumy Oblast, key enemy objectives that could provide stability to a buffer zone may include the heights between Yunakivka and Khrapivshchyna, the wooded area to the northeast of Sumy from Radkivka to Mohrytsya, and the Psel River. Based on this, the enemy’s operational tasks in this direction may include taking control of the area of Bilovody – Loknia – Yunakivka – Yablunivka, seizing at least the eastern part of the wooded area west of Mohrytsya, and reaching the line of Velyka Rybytsya – Myropillya along the Psel River. The enemy may also attempt to break through from the border toward Vorozhba and Bilopillya and cut off the operational lateral route between Sumy and Novhorod-Siverskyi. The implementation of such a plan would require the enemy command to covertly deploy a strike force in the area of Tiotkino.
A replacement of the airborne forces and naval infantry units with troops of the 14th and 44th Army Corps is expected soon. The highly mobile component of the Russian Armed Forces will be redeployed to Donbas or to Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
On the Kupyansk direction, the command of the enemy's "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping will abandon active operations on its flanks and resume the offensive along the Svatove–Kupyansk road in the offensive zone of the 47th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army. To this end, it is concentrating forces in the area of Kyslivka – Zatyshne – Nova Tarasivka – Tabaiivka and has already redeployed one motorized rifle regiment each from the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division and the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army to the Lyman direction. The enemy will demonstrate readiness to launch a frontal push against the "Khortytsia" OSG, thereby attempting to mislead the command of "Khortytsia" OSG regarding the true intent of its actions, aiming to complicate the maneuvering of OSG reserves simultaneously across two operational zones — in front of both the 6th Combined Arms Army and the 1st Tank Army of the enemy.
On the Lyman direction, the command of the enemy’s "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping will exert efforts to collapse the defense of "Khortytsia" OSG in front of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army. To achieve this, the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army will attempt at any cost to break through in a northwesterly direction from its bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River to link up with the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army. The enemy will attempt to advance toward Karlivka from Nove and toward Drobysheve from Kolodyazi, seeking to reach and entrench along the Karlivka – Shandryholove – Drobysheve line, while simultaneously intensifying its offensive near Torske and advancing on Lyman from the east. The forward elements of the 25th Combined Arms Army will, in the near future, attempt to simultaneously force the Chornyi Zherebets River as close as possible to Zarichne and break through to its eastern part on the opposite bank of the river. The enemy command’s operational intent includes using the Oskil River as a flank cover for a further advance on Lyman and Sloviansk, as evidenced by intensive attacks from the bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River in a northwesterly direction toward Borova and the shift of the main strike axis of the 20th Combined Arms Army from Lyman to Borova.
The command of the enemy’s 3rd Combined Arms Army on the Siversk direction will create favorable conditions for the further seizure of the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration during the summer campaign. For this, its forces will attempt to break through to the northern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River between Yampil and Hryhorivka, and from the southeast direction—toward Siversk.
On the Kramatorsk direction, the command of the enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping and the 3rd Army, in particular, may soon change the direction of their main strike and shift it to the north of Chasiv Yar, launching an offensive on both sides of the Bakhmut–Sloviansk road along the Orikhovo-Vasylivka–Minkivka and Blahodatne–Pryvillya directions, which would allow them to break through to the forward approaches of Sloviansk directly from the southeast and create a real threat to the “Siversk” Operational Tactical Grouping (OTG) of Ukrainian Defense Forces by executing a deep flanking maneuver on its right flank. If the enemy manages to achieve operational surprise in these directions and advance to tactical depth, the situation in the Kolodyazi–Hryhorivka sector on the Lyman direction could radically deteriorate for the “Khortytsia” OSG.
The command of the enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping will continue its offensive on the Toretsk direction with two tactical groups — one in the Toretsk area (main group), and another in the Vozdvyzhenka area (group on a secondary direction). The first group will attempt a breakthrough toward Pleshchiivka, bypassing the Kleban-Byk reservoir from the east; the second will push toward the Novoolenivka area, bypassing the reservoir from the west along the Pokrovsk–Bakhmut highway. The enemy will attempt to outflank the prepared “Khortytsia” OSG defenses from the east, along lines based on a cascade of small reservoirs and ponds along the Bychok River, generally in the Toretsk–Kostyantynivka direction, aiming to reach the intermediate line Pleshchiivka–Bila Hora. Its forward units will attempt to advance through Shcherbynivka toward Pleshchiivka and along the Dachne–Dyliivka railway. In the near future, the enemy will focus on seizing Shcherbynivka and Novospaske. If unsuccessful, the main axis of the attack may shift to the zone of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division near Vozdvyzhenka, or the enemy may focus on dismantling the “Khortytsia” OSG’s defenses along the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas canal, advancing from south to north.
The operational plan of the 8th Combined Arms Army on the Kostyantynivka direction is to envelop the tactical group of the "Khortytsia" OSG, which is defending south of Kostyantynivka between Oleksandropil and Tarasivka from the flanks. The enemy aims to encircle and destroy this group or, if unable to do so, force it to withdraw from the area south of Kostyantynivka in a northwestern direction under the threat of encirclement. The ultimate goal of these actions is a two-pronged breakthrough from the southwest and southeast toward the area of Stepanivka – Berestok – Pleshchiivka – Yablunivka, followed by a simultaneous assault on Kostyantynivka from this area and from the direction of Chasiv Yar. After the reaching the Poltavka–Pleshchiivka line, the enemy’s 3rd Combined Arms Army, reinforced by an airborne forces group, will attempt a rapid breakthrough from the bridgehead on the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas canal in the Chasiv Yar area, advancing from the northeast toward Kostyantynivka.
In the near future, the command of the “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping will begin regrouping forces and assets in the operational zones of the 5th and 36th Combined Arms Armies and reinforce them with additional troops from other directions.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 04.05.25
Personnel - almost 956,810 (+1340);
Tanks – 10,758 (+11);
Armored combat vehicles – 22,403 (+24);
Artillery systems – 27,327 (+52);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,376 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,155 (+1);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 47,141 (+129);
Aircraft - 372 (+2);
Helicopters – 335 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 34,860 (+163);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,197 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
During the night of May 4, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 165 strike UAVs and decoy drones. Of these, 69 were shot down, and another 80 were classified as “locationally lost.” As a result of the enemy attack, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, and Kyiv Oblasts were affected.
Late in the evening of May 3, starting at 23:19, Russian forces attacked Cherkasy with drones. As a result of the attack, one person was injured, and five fires broke out. A dormitory was damaged, with a fire breaking out in one of the apartments. Windows were shattered. Other apartments and warehouse facilities were also damaged.
During the night of May 4, Russian drone attacks caused destruction and fires in three districts of Kyiv: Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi. Eleven people were injured, including two children.
On Sunday morning, at least eight guided aerial bombs (KABs) were dropped by Russian forces on the frontline town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Two people were injured, and residential buildings were destroyed.
During the night of Sunday, May 4, a construction facility in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, was attacked by Russian Geran-2 UAVs. There were no casualties, but buildings and equipment were damaged.
At least six people were injured in Donetsk Oblast on Sunday morning following a series of Russian army attacks. In Druzhkivka, an enemy drone attacked an industrial area, injuring three civilians aged 65 to 69. In the city of Pokrovsk, two more people were injured, and one private house was damaged. In the village of Zarichne, part of the Lyman community, one person was injured in a strike, and two residential buildings were completely destroyed.
As a result of an attack by Russian UAVs on Marhanets in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, three people were injured. Russian forces also attacked Nikopol, Synelnykove, and Dnipro districts of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with drones and Grad multiple launch rocket systems. Two police officers were wounded. In the afternoon, Russian forces struck the Novopavlivka community in Synelnykove District with a guided aerial bomb (KAB). A 54-year-old man was killed.
Two residents of Kherson were injured by enemy drones in the morning. The men, aged 60 and 63, sustained concussions and mine-explosive injuries.
In Velyka Pysarivka, Sumy Oblast, Russians struck residential streets with guided aerial bombs. A civilian was killed. Bilopillya came under MLRS fire. Civilian homes, the power grid, and a gas pipeline were damaged. Two women sought medical assistance. Due to the shelling, part of the town was left without electricity.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks using multiple launch rocket systems caused large-scale forest fires in the forested areas of the Borova community in Izium District. Evacuation of local residents is being prepared due to the forest fire. Ammunition left behind by Russian forces is detonating in the woods.