Russia's war on Ukraine. 08.04.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces advance on the western and southern outskirts of Guevo, continue fighting for Basivka in Sumy Oblast, and attempt to advance southeast of Basivka and toward the northern outskirts of Loknia. Combat continues near Oleshnia and Hornal.
Ukrainian Defense Forces hold positions in Guevo, near Oleshnia and Hornal.
On the Belgorod direction, Russian forces advanced to the center of Demidovka and attempted to push Ukrainian Defense Force units out of Demidovka and Popovka.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces continued attacks near Lyptsi, Vovchansk, and Tykhe.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces attempted to advance west of Zapadne toward Petropavlivka and Pishchane. They conducted assaults near Kamyanka, Fiholivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Bohuslavka, Novoplatonivka, Zahryzove, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Nadiia, Hrekivka, Novoserhiyivka, and Novoyehorivka. The enemy managed to advance toward Kindrashivka and began fighting for it. Their forward units attempted to attack in the area of Zapadne and to advance south of it toward Mala Shapkivka. The enemy managed to break through past the Kupyansk–Dvorichna road and to restore its positions in this area after recent counterattacks by Ukrainian Defense Forces.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces fought for Katerynivka and attempted to advance west of Balka Zhuravka, near Nove, and at the northern outskirts of Torske. They continued attacks on Novomykhailivka, Ridkodub, Kolodyazi, Yampolivka, and attempted to establish pontoon bridges across the Zherebets River, though unsuccessfully. Forward elements of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army advanced west of Novolyubivka, significantly expanded their incursion toward Katerynivka, where they persistently tried to gain a foothold, but have not succeeded so far. The 144th Motorized Rifle Division continued intense but unsuccessful attacks toward Nove and Zelena Dolyna. On the eastern bank of the Chornyi Zherebets River, forward units of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army took control of Yampolivka and attempted to break through into Torske from the north and east. To reinforce efforts there, units of the 164th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade were committed to battle.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces advanced north of Verkhnyokamianske and attacked near Serebrianka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces attempted to advance southwest of Chasiv Yar and attacked near Kurdyumivka.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced toward the southwestern spoil tip of the "Tsentralna" mine and attempted to advance near Krymske, Pivnichne, Valentynivka, Panteleymonivka, and Oleksandropil. They attacked near Toretsk, Dyliivka, Dachne, Shcherbynivka, Leonidivka, Romanivka, and Sukha Balka.
Forward units of the 132nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army, supported by several units of the 68th Tank Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army, continued their attempts to cut off the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ salient west of New York, attacking from Panteleymonivka toward Sukha Balka. The main forces of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division attempted to complete the expulsion of Ukrainian Defense Forces from the “Zabalka” neighborhood and to advance toward Shcherbynivka, Krymske, and Dyliivka. The enemy achieved success only in the “Zabalka” area and the northwestern part of Toretsk and is close to capturing Oleksandropil.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces made minor advances on the southwestern outskirts of Uspenivka, in the center and western outskirts of Lysivka. They attempted to advance west and north of Uspenivka, toward the northern outskirts of Nadiivka, east of Kotlyarivka and Kotlyne, southeast of Bohdanivka, and west of Troitske. They attacked near Tarasivka, Yelyzavetivka, Kalynove, Vodyane Druhe, Udachne, and Bohdanivka, and in the directions of Serhiivka, Muravka, and Novooleksandrivka
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces attempted to advance near Konstyantynopil and from Rozlyv to reach Bahatyr. They attacked near Andriivka, Konstyantynopil, and Rozlyv.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces advanced northeast of Pryvilne and continued fighting for the village. They attempted to advance north of Vesele, near Burlatske, and toward the northeastern outskirts of Shevchenkove. They attacked near Skudne, Vilne Pole, and Fedorivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces advanced to the western outskirts of Stepove and attempted to advance northwest and northeast of Shcherbaky and southeast of Kamianske. They conducted offensives near Mali Shcherbaky.
The 108th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division, the motorized rifle battalion of the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division, and the motorized rifle battalion of the 503rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division, which were trying to attack toward Pyatykhatky–Stepove and Dolynka–Shcherbaky, occupied Lobkove and advanced northwest of it, although they were unable to break through further, past the Kamianske–Orikhiv road, in the Stepove–Shcherbaky sector. They are fighting for both these villages. Forward units of the 429th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army advanced north of Luhove toward the eastern outskirts of Kamianske.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Shcherbaky.
General conclusion:
The number of Russian attacks of the border areas of Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv Oblasts has sharply decreased by approximately half due to a change in weather conditions and strikes by Ukrainian Defense Forces on Russian communications. There are no signs of the formation of strike groupings in the Slobozhanske direction.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces attempt to accumulate manpower for further assaults, as the enemy currently lacks sufficient infantry in this area.
Russian forces attempt to expand their bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River near Dvorichna. Ukrainian Defense Forces prevent the enemy from establishing pontoon crossings on the Oskil River, destroying engineering equipment.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces have intensified their offensive and slightly shifted the direction of their main attack further north to Hrekivka, Novomykhailivka, and Novoholubivka, but they attack in small groups and have only recently begun to use tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The enemy clearly finds it more difficult to conduct offensive actions on the eastern bank of the Chornyi Zherebets River in the operational zone of the 25th Army than on its bridgehead west of the river in the 20th Army’s zone, although in terms of force composition, both armies are quite comparable.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces have doubled the number of attacks compared to last week. After a recent change in the command of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division, its forward assault units have noticeably intensified their actions, while losses have also increased, which may render a breakthrough to Kostyantynivka impossible. For instance, the 102nd and 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiments of the division have only up to 55% of their personnel remaining. At the same time, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division appears more combat-capable compared to the 1st, 9th, and 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 51st Army, which have only 30–40% of personnel in their assault companies. The regrouping of the 1465th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division to advance from Vozdvyzhenka toward the Pokrovsk–Bakhmut road and to reinforce the flank of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division specifically indicates the latter’s limited ability to fulfill its immediate task due to a lack of forces and assets.
Russian forces conducted a tactical pause on the Pokrovsk direction after heavy losses in early March 2025 and have restored their combat capabilities. The enemy is trying to bypass Pokrovsk from the west, advance toward Novopavlivka and the T0504 highway Pokrovsk–Kostyantynivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, the enemy may attempt to advance toward Gagarin Street in Kamianske with forces of up to two battalions of the 429th Motorized Rifle Regiment but will halt before the defensive area of the “Tavriya” Operational-Strategic Group (OSG) along the Yanchekak River.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 159 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kupyansk direction, there were 4 enemy attacks. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled assaults toward Pishchane, near Kruhlyakivka and Zahryzove.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 21 times, attempting to advance near Nadiia, Yampolivka, Torske, and toward Novoplatonivka, Novomykhailivka, Hrekivka, Ridkodub, Olhivka, Zelena Dolyna, and Nove.
On the Siversk direction, the enemy conducted 3 unsuccessful attacks near Hryhorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 3 engagements took place in the areas of Kurdyumivka and Chasiv Yar.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy conducted 23 attacks near Dachne, Shcherbynivka, Ozaryanivka, and Toretsk.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 52 enemy offensive actions were halted in the areas of Kalynove, Lysivka, Oleksandropil, Tarasivka, Yelyzavetivka, Udachne, Uspenivka, Preobrazhenka, Andriivka, Kotlyne, as well as toward Kotlyarivka, Malynivka, and Serhiivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 12 attacks toward Bahatyr and near Konstyantynopil, Rozlyv, and Skudne.
On the Huliaypole direction, the enemy made 2 unsuccessful attempts to advance toward the village of Shevchenkove.
On the Orikhiv direction, 8 enemy attacks were successfully repelled in the areas of Mali Shcherbaky, Stepove, and Shcherbaky.
On the Kursk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 21 enemy attacks. The enemy carried out 5 airstrikes.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Mediterranean Sea: 3 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
There were no strikes.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 177th Separate Marines Regiment of the Caspian Fleet and the 37th BARS Detachment “Sarmat” operate in Kursk Oblast. The 810th Separate Marines Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet is engaged near Hornal.
The 155th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet operates near Popovka.
The 25th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, reinforced by two separate rifle battalions, the 1007th and 1486th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the Mobilization Reserve, and a battalion of the 1431st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 18th Motorized Rifle Division of the 11th Army Corps, operates north of Kupyansk.
The 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Army conducts combat operations west of Novolyubivka, in the direction of Nove and Zelena Dolyna. The 67th Motorized Rifle Division and the 164th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 25th Army engage in combat near Torske.
The 88th Volunteer Reconnaissance-Assault Brigade “Española” operates near Chasiv Yar.
The 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Army advances in the “Zabalka” neighborhood (south of Toretsk) and near Krymske. The 132nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army operates near Panteleymonivka and Sukha Balka. The 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army operates near Druzhba.
The 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Army operates near Solone. Elements of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Army operate near Troitske.
The 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Army and the 40th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet operate on the Novopavlivka direction. The 36th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 29th Army attacks near Bahatyr.
The 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Army operates near Shevchenkove. The 5th Separate Tank Brigade of the 36th Army operates in the direction of Komar. The 30th Separate SOF Company of the 36th Army operates in the direction of Shakhtarske.
The 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Army operates near Novodanylivka. The 503rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Army operates in the direction of Orikhiv.
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.
The command of the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping has redeployed no fewer than two battalions of the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army from the south to the area of Lyman Pershyi and will seek to take advantage of a series of its tactical successes on the Kupyansk and Lyman directions. A regrouping of elements of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division and the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army to the operational zone of the 20th Army on the Lyman direction has been carried out. These forces and assets are likely to appear soon on both enemy bridgeheads. The commitment to battle near Dvorichna of two to three battalions of the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, two battalions each of the 1st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division and the 423rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 4th Tank Division — in the direction of Katerynivka and Nove, in the area of the bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River — should be expected. The manning levels and combat capabilities of the aforementioned battalions will be somewhat reduced.
Possible enemy courses of action on the Lyman direction may also include attempts to use the expansion of the bridgehead on the western bank of the Zherebets River near Ivanivka for the further capture of Lyman. The enemy may try to advance toward Karlivka from Nove and toward Drobysheve from Kolodyazi, attempting to reach and secure the Karlivka – Shandryholove – Drobysheve line while simultaneously intensifying the offensive near Torske and advancing on Lyman from the east.
Ukrainian Defense Forces may launch an offensive in the direction of Lyman Pershyi – Horobivka – Tavilzhanka, which, if successful, will lead to either the enemy's rapid retreat from the Dvorichna bridgehead or its encirclement there. Such a development would result in the loss of combat capability of the entire enemy's 6th Combined Arms Army.
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.
On the Zaporizhzhia direction, in the near future, the command of the enemy’s 58th Army may expand the section of its offensive actions along the front, counting on the reinforcement by elements of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division returning from the Kursk group of forces.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 08.04.25
Personnel - almost 926,310 (+1,290);
Tanks – 10,572 (+5);
Armored combat vehicles – 22,011 (+14);
Artillery systems – 25,860 (+43);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1359 (+3);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,126 (+2);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 43,227 (+107);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 335 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 31,917 (+43);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,145 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recognized the Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih on April 4 as the deadliest since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in terms of the deaths and injuries of children.
Since the evening of April 7, Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with an "Iskander-M" ballistic missile and 46 Shahed-type strike UAVs, along with UAVs of various types used as decoys. As of 08:00, 9 strike UAVs have been confirmed destroyed. 31 enemy decoy UAVs have been lost from radar (without negative consequences). As a result of the Russian attack, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk Oblasts were affected.
Late in the evening on April 7, Russian forces attacked the village of Vysokyi in Kharkiv Oblast – an "Iskander" ballistic missile hit a non-operational resort building, injuring 3 people.
On the evening of April 7, Russian forces attacked the Dnipro district of Kherson city with a UAV. A 66-year-old man sustained a mine-explosive injury and shrapnel wounds. He was hospitalized in a condition of moderate severity.
In the night of April 8, Russian occupiers attacked peaceful settlements in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with drones and heavy artillery, damaging infrastructure, residential multi-story buildings, a factory, and private homes.
Around 06:30 on April 8, Russian occupiers dropped a bomb from a drone, injuring an 85-year-old resident of Kherson – the man was hospitalized.
In the village of Bilyi Kolodyaz in Chuhuiv district on April 8, around 11:00, an enemy FPV drone dropped an explosive device on the village council. At that time, humanitarian aid was being distributed to civilians. The building had its windows broken and the facade damaged. A woman was injured.
As a result of a Russian strike with glide bombs on the Krasnopillya community in Sumy Oblast, a dormitory of one of the educational institutions was destroyed, and 30 private houses were damaged.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in the frontline village of Malynivka, a man was injured by a mortar shelling from Russian forces on April 8.
The Russian army struck Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast three times on April 8: first with artillery and later using kamikaze drones. Two men, aged 36 and 43, were injured. Four private homes, two farm buildings, three garages, a car, and a café were damaged. Power lines were also affected.
Ukrainian military forces in Donetsk Oblast captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting as part of the Russian army. “We have information that there are many more Chinese nationals in the occupiers’ units than just these two,” President Zelensky stated.
A military court in the Russian Federation on April 8 “sentenced” seven Ukrainian servicemen, who had been captured in Kursk Oblast, to terms ranging from 15 to 17 years. All seven Ukrainians were found "guilty" in the case of terrorist acts in the Kursk Oblast.
In Bakhchysarai, temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian invaders opened a course to train children for mobilization, called the “School of Young Commanders” — a course for 120 children from the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Kherson Oblast. They are taught tactics, medical training, handling weapons, and driving, as reported by the National Resistance Center of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.