Russia's war on Ukraine. 07.03.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces advanced towards Malaya Loknia, attempting to take fire control over the supply routes of "Siversk" Operational and Tactical Group (OTG) to Sudzha, deploying EW systems along their routes to counter Ukrainian FPV drones, and positioning artillery directly along the international border to disrupt Ukrainian logistics in Sumy Oblast. The enemy attempted to advance near Zhuravka.
"Siversk" OTG struck the command post of the 177th Separate Marines Regiment of the Caspian Fleet near Plekhovo.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Vovchansk area.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces advanced on the southwestern outskirts of Dvorichna, to the northwest and west of it, northwest of Topoli, near Petrivka, and north of Zakhidne. They attempted to advance near Fiholivka, Dvorichna, Zakhidne, and west of Nadiia, continued attacks from Fiholivka towards Krasne Pershe along the western bank of the Oskil River, and advanced near Petro-Ivanivka, Novomlynsk, Kindrashivka, Zahryzove, and towards Holubivka. The enemy is trying to establish a new bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River near Krasne Pershe and expand the existing bridgehead near Kalynove.
Ukrainian Defense Forces pushed Russian units out of Zakhidne and beyond the R79 Kupyansk–Dvorichna road, though the occupiers still hold some positions northeast of Zakhidne.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces advanced near Novolyubivka, towards Nove, near Yampolivka and Zarichne, and attacked in the areas of Zelena Dolyna, Balka Zhuravka, Novomykhailivka, Nove, and Katerynivka.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces advanced west of Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces conducted offensive actions around Chasiv Yar, near Oleksandro-Shultyne, Bila Hora, Predtechyne, and Kostyantynivka.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces conducted offensive actions near Toretsk, in the areas of Krymske, Ozaryanivka, Dyliivka, and Dachne, and are attempting to rotate troops in Toretsk.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold positions in the northern and central parts of Toretsk.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the eastern part of Pishchane, entered Shevchenkove, captured Uspenivka, and pushed Russian forces away from Yelyzavetivka.
Russian forces captured Zelene Pole and attempted to advance northeast of Dachenske, east of Pishchane, north of Kotlyne, and within Uspenivka, attacking in the areas of Promin, Yelyzavetivka, Bohdanivka, Mykolaivka, Serhiivka, Udachne, Pishchane, Kotlyne, Nadiivka, and Kotlyarivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces advanced southwest of Rozlyv, attempted to advance west of Andriivka, south of Konstyantynopil, and attacked in the areas of Ulakly and Rozdolne.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces advanced from Pryvilne to Vilne Pole, towards Shevchenkove and Skudne, and continued offensive operations in the areas of Vesele, Skudne, Burlatske, Vilne Pole, and Novoocheretuvate, Novosilka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Vesele, Fedorivka, and Burlatske.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces conducted offensive actions near Mala Tokmachka, Nesteryanka, Pyatykhatky, Kamianske, Pavlivka, and Lobkove.
On the Prydniprovskyi direction, Ukrainian Defense forces struck the command post of the 17th Tank Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Combined Arms Army in Oleshky.
General conclusion:
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy is attempting to merge its bridgeheads near Topoli and Dvorichna, but due to the inability to transfer heavy equipment to the western bank, the enemy is forced to operate exclusively with infantry.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy has failed to create conditions for introducing the 8th Combined Arms Army into the operation toward Kostyantynivka.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 138 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, three enemy attacks were repelled in the Vovchansk area.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy launched five assaults near Zahryzove. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled all enemy attacks.
On the Lyman direction, Russian occupiers attacked Ukrainian positions 15 times near Ivanivka, Balka Zhuravka, Yampolivka, and towards Hryhorivka.
On the Siversk direction, the enemy attempted an advance near Bilohorivka, but the attack was repelled.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 14 combat clashes were recorded near Chasiv Yar and towards Stupochky. Kramatorsk was hit by an airstrike.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian defensive positions 32 times, focusing their offensive efforts near Dyliivka, Krymske, Ozaryanivka, and Toretsk.
On the Pokrovsk direction, occupation forces attempted to break through the defense 17 times near the settlements of Promin, Dachenske, Kotlyne, Nadiivka, and Andriivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy attacked five times near Konstyantynopil, Skudne, and Burlatske, but was repelled.
On the Huliaypole direction, the enemy launched five attacks in the areas of Pryvilne and Novosilka.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled ten enemy assaults near Mala Tokmachka, Maly Shcherbaky, Nesteryanka, Kamianske, and Pyatykhatky.
On the Kursk direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 29 Russian attacks. The enemy carried out 22 airstrikes.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Black Sea: 3 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 8 cruise missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 4 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out missile strikes on the Saky airfield and the launch positions of strike UAVs at Cape Chauda in the occupied Crimea.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 78th Motorized Rifle Regiment "Sever-Akhmat" of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, along with the 299th and 331st Parachute Regiments of the 98th Airborne Division, operates near Chasiv Yar.
The 174th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army, and the 134th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade operate on the Shcherbynivka–Toretsk direction.
The 24th Separate SOF Brigade operates on the Pokrovsk direction.
The 5th Separate Tank Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army fights toward Novoocheretuvate and Skudne.
The 7th Air Assault Division operates near Pyatykhatky.
The 24th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Combined Arms Army operates on the Kherson direction.
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 07.03.25
Personnel - almost 882,950 (+1,150);
Tanks – 10,264 (+3);
Armored combat vehicles – 21,234 (+23);
Artillery systems – 24,124 (+16);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,306 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,096 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 39,678 (+72);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 331 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 28,024 (+95);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,085 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
On March 7, a massive Russian missile and drone attack targeted Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure in various Oblasts. Ukraine’s Defense Forces shot down 25 Russian Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles, eight Kalibr missiles, one Kh-59/69 guided air missile, and 100 drones. In total, Russia launched 67 missiles of various types and 194 strike UAVs and decoy drones of different types.
Russian forces launched cruise missiles from the Black Sea for the third time this year, making this the largest attack of the year—nearly 20 missiles.
Russian occupiers carried out the seventeenth combined attack on Naftogaz Group’s gas transportation infrastructure, damaging facilities involved in gas extraction.
Seven Kalibr missiles were aimed at one of the most critical facilities in Ternopil Oblast, five of which were shot down. However, two missiles hit the facility, causing a gas fire. This was the first time such a powerful enemy strike was inflicted on Ternopil Oblast.
Around 6:30 AM on March 7, Russian forces struck a critical infrastructure facility in Kharkiv with an Iskander-M missile. Eight people were injured, though their lives are not in danger. More than 30 private houses were damaged, and utility workers are restoring heating in eight apartment buildings.
During the night of March 7, Russian forces launched another attack on the energy infrastructure of Odesa Oblast, damaging the sixth energy facility in the region.
On the morning of March 7, Russians damaged an energy infrastructure facility in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
In Kyiv Oblast, the air raid alarm lasted nearly nine hours overnight, with debris falling in two districts. There were no casualties among the population, and no critical infrastructure facilities were hit.
On the night of March 7, the Russian army attacked Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast with guided aerial bombs. Seven people were injured, including two children.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a production facility was damaged due to a nighttime Russian airstrike.
In Odesa Oblast, a missile attack in the morning of March 7 damaged five houses in the Podilskyi district. Due to a drone attack on the evening of March 6, over 30 residential buildings were damaged in the suburbs of Chornomorsk.
On the night of March 7, Russian forces shelled Kramatorsk. The attack hit a residential area and urban infrastructure, injuring a child.
Around 11:00 AM, the Russian army shelled Kherson with artillery. A 56-year-old man was hit while at home and was hospitalized in moderate condition.
Around 10:00 AM, occupiers attacked a man with a UAV in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson. Due to the enemy strike, a 38-year-old resident suffered an explosive injury, a wounded hand, and traumatic amputation of fingers.
In Sumy Oblast, the Russian army continues to strike energy facilities, increasing electricity imports to the region by 2.5 times.
A 22-year-old young man was evacuated from the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. The occupiers had detained and tortured him in Kherson during the occupation before transferring him to the left bank, where he spent the last two years of his 22-year life. He could not leave independently due to constant surveillance by FSB agents and occupation forces.
Trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rose to 68% in the second half of February. This is according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology between February 14 and March 4, 2025. As of the first half of February 2025, before the escalation of Ukraine-US relations, 57% of Ukrainians trusted President Zelenskyy, while 37% did not.
Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated that the transportation significance of the Kerch Bridge is declining and suggested that this trend will continue as Russians are already addressing some logistical challenges through occupied territories in southern Ukraine.