Russia's war on Ukraine. 05.03.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces continued offensive actions but were unsuccessful. The enemy is fighting for Nikolskiy, Novaya Sorochina, Zhuravka, Novenke and attempted to advance near Malaya Loknia. They also launched attacks near Lebedevka, Cherkasskoe Porechie, Cherkasskya Konopelka, and Guevo.
The "Siversk" Operational-Tactical Group (OTG) counterattacked near Malaya Loknia and Kurilovka, delivering an airstrike on the positions of the 28th Rifle Battalion of the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army near Troitske.
On March 4, Russian forces conducted offensive actions near the international border in Sumy Oblast but failed to advance.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces continued their offensive actions but did not make progress. Fighting continues in Vovchansk. The enemy attacked in the vicinity of Lyptsi and in the direction of Bochkovе.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces continued their offensive but without success. The enemy attacked near Krasne Pershe, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, and Hrekivka, as well as in the direction of Novoosynove and Bohuslavka. They attempted to break through to Nova Kruhlyakivka. The 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army advanced east of Zahryzove.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces advanced southeast of Nove and continued offensive actions in the areas of Novolyubivka, Kolodyazi, Ivanivka, and Yampolivka, as well as in the direction of Novomykhailivka and near Dibrova.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces conducted offensive actions in the area of Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces attempted to advance in the southern part of Chasiv Yar and conducted offensive actions near Stupochky and in the direction of Predtechyne.
An airstrike by Ukrainian Air Force hit the command post of the 98th Airborne Division near the village of Manzhykiv Kut.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces conducted offensive actions near Toretsk, Krymske, and Dachne.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced along the railway on the southeastern outskirts of Udachne.
Russian forces advanced east of Preobrazhenka and conducted offensive actions in the areas of Berezivka, Malynivka, Oleksandropil, Zelenе Pole, Vodyane Druhe, Yelyzavetivka, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Novoukrainka, Pishchane, Uspenivka, Preobrazhenka, Kotlyne, Udachne, and Serhiivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the 114th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army is fighting for Andriivka. Russian forces continued attacks near Ulakly, Konstyantynopil, Andriivka, and Oleksiivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces attempted to advance on the southern outskirts of Pryvilne, northwest of the village, and in the direction of Vilne Pole. They continued attacks near Veselе, Dniproenerhiya, Burlatske, Skudne, and Vilne Pole.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Burlatske, Pryvilne, and Dniproenerhiya.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces advanced south of Mali Shcherbaky and continued offensive actions near Nesteryanka, Stepove, and Kamianske.
General conclusion:
Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the enemy near Zapadne and Uspenivka.
The enemy advanced near Burlatske and Lebedevka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces concentrate efforts on Nove, Yampolivka, and Novomykhailivka to seize commanding heights, attacking in small assault groups.
Russian forces are attempting to cross the Dnipro River and establish positions on the western bank on marshy islands in the river’s delta, east of Kherson, near the Antonivsky road and rail bridges, as well as near Lviv and Zmiivka. The enemy suffers heavy losses during these river raids. The islands in the Dnipro delta remain a grey zone.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 97 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, the enemy attempted twice to advance in the area of Vovchansk but was repelled.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy conducted three assaults near Petropavlivka, Pishchane, and Bohuslavka. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled all attacks.
On the Lyman direction, Russian occupiers attacked Ukrainian positions 14 times near the settlements of Novomykhailivka, Hrekivka, Nove, Novolyubivka, Yampolivka, and Dibrova.
On the Kramatorsk direction, there was one enemy attack towards Stupochky.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian Defense Forces positions 10 times, concentrating efforts near Dachne and Toretsk.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the invaders attempted 17 times to break through Ukranian defense near Promin, Lysivka, Serhiivka, Ulakly, Andriivka, and Oleksiivka. The enemy launched an airstrike near Orikhove.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy attacked 10 times near Konstyantynopil and Rozdolne. Airstrikes targeted Yаnvarske, Novopavlivka, Oleksiivka, and Ivanivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, the enemy attacked twice near Pryvilne and Charivne, launching airstrikes on Komyshuvakha, Huliaypole, and Zaliznychne.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled seven enemy attacks near Nesteryanka, Novodanylivka, and Kamianske.
On the Prydniprovskyi direction, the enemy conducted an unsuccessful attack and launched an airstrike near Lviv.
On the Kursk direction, the "Siversk" OTG repelled 30 enemy attacks. The enemy carried out 18 airstrikes.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Mediterranean Sea: 4 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck targets at the Sokhranovskoye Main Gas Pipeline Operations Department in Rostov Oblast.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 41st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 44th Army Corps operates on the Kharkiv direction.
The 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps operates near Bila Hora.
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;
In preparation for the capture of Kupyansk, the enemy needs to expand the area of access to the Oskil River. To achieve this, in the near future, it will intensify operations not only along the river but also on the flanks of its sector by introducing the 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division, part of the forces of the 47th Tank Division, and the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army into the operation.
Once the enemy sufficiently expands its bridgeheads on the Chornyi Zherebets River, the 25th Army, with forces of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division and the 164th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, will sharply intensify actions toward Torske and Yampolivka. This will mark the second stage of pushing "Khortytsia" OSG out of the bridgehead east of the Chornyi Zherebets River on the Lyman direction.
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.
The command of the enemy’s "Vostok (East)" Operational Grouping will attempt to organize a breakthrough toward Komar on the Huliaypole direction in the near future and advance into the operational rear of "Khortytsia" OSG which is engaged in heavy defensive battles on the Novopavlivka direction.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 05.03.25
Personnel - almost 880,660 (+1,250);
Tanks – 10,256 (+1);
Armored combat vehicles – 21,204 (+6);
Artillery systems – 24,087 (+23);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,306 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,094 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 39,512 (+84);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 331 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 27,849 (+108);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,065 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
From 19:30 on Tuesday, March 4, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, one S-300 surface-to-air guided missile, and 181 Shahed-type attack UAVs, along with various decoy drones. As of 09:30 on Wednesday, March 5, 115 UAVs have been confirmed shot down. Fifty-five enemy decoy drones were lost from radar tracking (without negative consequences). Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv Oblasts were affected by the attack.
As a result of a Russian nighttime strike on a DTEK facility in Odesa, parts of the city were left without electricity, water, and heating. This marks the fourth Russian attack on Ukrainian energy system in two weeks. Debris from downed enemy drones damaged private houses in the suburbs of Odesa. A 77-year-old resident of the village of Lymanka died from shrapnel wounds.
During the night of March 5, the Russian army launched a missile strike on Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, damaging two industrial enterprises.
The enemy struck the Korabelnyi district of Kherson overnight, killing a man. Around 13:30, Russian forces attacked the Dnipro district of Kherson using a drone, wounding a 70-year-old woman. At approximately 14:30, Russian occupiers struck Antonivka with a UAV. A local resident sustained fatal injuries.
In the Boryspil district of Kyiv Oblast, a Russian UAV attack damaged two apartment buildings, a private house, a kindergarten, and a school.
During the night and morning of March 5, Russian forces carried out eight strikes on Sumy Oblast, with 38 explosions recorded. In Chernechchyna community, an 83-year-old woman was wounded by Russian shelling.
Throughout the day, March 5, Russian forces carried out more than ten strikes on Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, damaging infrastructure, a three-story building, two cars, and a power line.
Over the past day, the occupiers launched 441 attacks on 11 towns and villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, including 11 airstrikes. In settlements of Zaporizhzhia Oblast located near the front line, 610 families remain.
80% of the bodies returned to Ukraine from Russian detention centers, prisons, and other facilities show signs of torture. Torture includes the use of physical force, instruments conducting electric current, and even deprivation of essential needs such as food and medical care, according to Inna Padey, head of the forensic medical examination department for corpses at the forensic bureau.
Over the past week, Russian forces dropped 108 aerial bombs on Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, killing 16 people and injuring 38.
Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used munitions containing hazardous chemical substances more than 6,900 times, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. During the full-scale war, nearly 3,400 Ukrainian servicemen have received medical treatment for symptoms of poisoning by an unknown chemical substance.
In temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian forces have destroyed a unique ancient fresco in the Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai. According to Russian-controlled Crimean media on March 4, during an unprofessional “restoration” of the palace, construction workers destroyed the historically valuable painting, allegedly because they “thought it was just old plaster.”
UNESCO estimates that restoring Ukraine’s cultural sector, which has suffered from Russian aggression, will require $10.5 billion over the next decade.