Russia's war on Ukraine. 18.07.25
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked near Glushkovo, Tetkino, Novyi Put, hold positions in the greater part of Kindrativka, and partially enveloped Russian troops near Oleksiivka, counterattacked near Kindrativka, Andriivka, Sadky, and Yablunivka.
Russian troops continued attacks near Ryzhivka, Bezsalivka, Varachyne, and Myropillya.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Russian troops are trying to advance in the center of Vovchansk and cross the Vovcha River, west and southwest of Milove, in the north of Kindrashivka, from Dvorichna to Kutkivka, continued attacks in the direction of Kudiivka, Pishchane, Ambarne, Khatnie, near Vovchansk, Zelene, Milove, Kupyansk, Kindrashivka, Synkivka, Stroyivka, Petropavlivka, Novoyehorivka, are fighting for Dehtyarne, and are trying to reach Myrove.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Vovchansk, Milove.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops advanced northeast of Borivska Andriivka, tried to advance north of Kolisnykivka, attacked near Zahryzove, Zelenyi Hai, Nadiia, Hrekivka, and Novoyehorivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian troops attacked in the direction of Shandryholove, near Karpivka, Novyi Myr, Zelena Dolyna, Kolodyazi, Yampolivka, Torske, and in Serebriansk Forest.
On the Siversk direction, Russian troops attacked near Serebrianka, Hryhorivka, and Vyiimka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Hryhorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian troops tried to advance north and south of Chasiv Yar, attacked near Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bila Hora, Predtechyne, and Stupochky.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian troops are fighting for Popiv Yar, are trying to advance north and west of Popiv Yar, east of Poltavka, near Novospaske, attacked near Toretsk, Rusyn Yar, Oleksandro-Kalynove, Poltavka, Yablunivka, Shcherbynivka, Novospaske, in the direction of Nelipivka, Pleshchiivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Popiv Yar.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the southeastern part of Novoekonomichne, counterattacked west of Kotlyne.
Russian troops advanced in the eastern part of Udachne, near Zvirove, in Chunyshyne, attacked in the direction of Pokrovsk, Rodynske, Volodymyrivka, Molodetske, near Novoekonomichne, Mykolaivka, Myroliubivka, Lysivka, Novoukrainka, and Kotlyne.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian troops attacked Novopavlivka, near Muravka, Novoukrainka, Oleksiivka, Dachne, Yalta, Piddubne, Voskresenka, Myrne, Zelenyi Hai, Vilne Pole, Shevchenkove, Zelene Pole, in the direction of Komyshuvakha, Temyrivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Novoserhiyivka, Muravka, Dachne, Orikhove, and hold positions in Novokhatske.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian troops attempted to advance southeast of Olhivske and west of Malynivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian troops fight for Kamyanske, tried to advance south of Plavni.
General conclusion:
The enemy advanced near Voskresenka, Zelenyi Hai, Zelene Pole, Myrne, Pishchane, Khatyshche, in Yablunivka, and occupied Shevchenko.
In the Southern Slobozhansky direction, the enemy conducted a reconnaissance battle in the direction of Starytsya.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops unsuccessfully tried to improve their tactical position near Radkivka, Pishchane, and Zelenyi Hai.
On the Lyman direction, they are unsuccessfully trying to advance near Cherneshchyna, Myrne, Novoyehorivka, Druzhelyubivka, Serednie Shandryholove, and in the Serebriansk Forest.
On the Siversk direction, the occupiers unsuccessfully try to dislodge Ukrainian Defense Forces from positions near Hryhorivka and Serebrianka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy is trying to develop its success in the areas of Voskresenka, Piddubne, Vilne Pole, Komyshuvakha, Zirka, Myrne, and Temyrivka, realizing its numerical superiority.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 180 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, 21 combat engagements occurred. In addition, the enemy launched 18 airstrikes.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 10 enemy attacks near Vovchansk, Zelene, and Starytsya.
On the Kupyansk direction, 43 attacks by the occupiers occurred. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled enemy assault actions in the areas of Kupyansk, Zelenyi Hai, Nova Kruhlyakivka, and in the direction of Pishchane.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 30 times, trying to advance near the settlements of Novoyehorivka, Hrekivka, Karpivka, Zelena Dolyna, Kolodyazi, Serebrianka, and towards Novyi Myr, Koroviy Yar, Serednie, Torske, and Shandryholove.
On the Siversk direction, 6 assaults by the occupying forces near Hryhorivka and Vyiimka were repelled.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 13 combat engagements were recorded in the areas of Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bila Hora, and Predtechyne.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 9 attacks near Shcherbynivka, Oleksandro-Kalynove, Petrivka, Rusyn Yar, and in the direction of Pleshchiivka and Katerynivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 61 assaults by the aggressor were stopped in the areas of Poltavka, Popiv Yar, Rodynske, Novotoretske, Myroliubivka, Novoekonomichne, Lysivka, Novoukrainka, Zvirove, Udachne, Muravka, Oleksiivka, Dachne, and in the direction of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Volodymyrivka, and Novopavlivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 17 enemy attempts to break through defensive lines in the areas of Piddubne, Zirka, Temyrivka, Myrne, Voskresenka, Vilne Pole, Shevchenko, Zelene Pole.
On the Orikhiv direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully stopped an enemy assault near Mala Tokmachka.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle airstrikes on the Shchekinoazot chemical plant in Tula Oblast and facilities in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.
Cyber specialists of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine attacked the Russian company Gaskar Integration (one of the largest UAV manufacturers). The company's operations are paralyzed.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 200th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 14th Army Corps, the 155th Separate Marine Brigade, the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 44th Army Corps, and the 1443rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 18th Motorized Rifle Division of the 11th Army Corps operate in the Kindrativka-Oleksiivka area and are of limited combat capability due to heavy losses. The 11th and 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigades and a battalion of the 1443rd Motorized Rifle Regiment operate in the Yablunivka and Varachyne areas.
The 6th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 127th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army operate near Hryhorivka; the 123rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the army operates near Vyiimka.
The 27th BARS Detachment strikes in the Kramatorsk direction.
The Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies, the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army, and the 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Combined Arms Army strike near Shcherbynivka. The 242nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army operates near Rusyn Yar.
The 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army operates near Mykolaivka, the 506th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 27th Motorized Rifle Division of the 2nd Combined Arms Army operates in the Pokrovsk direction. The Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies strikes near Bilozerka.
The 143rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 5th Combined Arms Army operates north of Zelene Pole.
Possible operation situation developments:
According to the estimates of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the enemy will not be able to achieve the Kremlin's goal of capturing the entire Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2025. The new operational task of the enemy grouping in the theater of military operations is to advance to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and create a buffer zone 10 km deep. Full occupation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts is possible no earlier than February 2028, provided current rates of advancement are maintained.
On the Northern Slobozhansky direction, the enemy’s “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping is trying to reach the Mala Korchakivka – Nova Sich – Maryinka – Sadky line.
The command of the enemy's "Sever (North)" Operational Grouping in cooperation with the right flank of “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping in the Southern Slobozhansky direction, will attempt to expand its bridgehead northeast of Velykyi Burluk and capture Hatnie before attacking the city. For this purpose, the troops will have to force water obstacles, including the Velykyi Burluk River on the Shevchenkove – Mykhailivka – Velykyi Burluk line. Villages located along the river will become a significant obstacle for Russian troops. The Vovchansk – Velykyi Burluk – Dvorichna line can become a powerful defensive line within Russia's buffer zone in northern Kharkiv Oblast if the enemy can combine its efforts from three directions in the medium and long term. The enemy cannot launch an offensive in the direction of Kupyansk due to complex logistical measures that must be carried out to accumulate troops on the western bank of the Oskil River.
On the Lyman direction, the forces of the Russian “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping will attempt to reach the line of Karlivka – Shandryholove – Drobysheve, while simultaneously advancing near Torske in an effort to enter Lyman from the east. The “Starobilsk” Operational-Tactical Group (OTG) will be forced to withdraw from the area of Kopani – Novoyehorivka – Druzhelyubivka – Cherneshchyna, in response to the enemy’s advance along the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River in the direction of Bilohorivka – Serebrianka, within the operational zone of the neighboring 3rd Combined Arms Army of the “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping.
On the Siversk direction, the command of the enemy's "Yug (South)" Operational Grouping will attempt to eliminate the Siversk salient held by "Khortytsia" OSG and break through towards the Sloviansk – Kramatorsk agglomeration. The 3rd Combined Arms Army will try to break through to the northern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River between Yampil and Hryhorivka, and from the southeast – toward Siversk. One should expect a revitalization of combat operations in the south-to-north direction with the enemy reaching the eastern outskirts of Siversk. The enemy will not be able to achieve its goal without reinforcing its grouping in that direction (primarily with the 106th Airborne Division).
On the Kramatorsk direction, the command of the enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping and the 3rd Army may shift the direction of their main strike to the north of Chasiv Yar and launch an offensive on both sides of the Bakhmut–Sloviansk road, along the directions of Orikhovo-Vasylivka–Minkivka and Blahodatne–Pryvillya. This would allow them to break through to the immediate approaches to Sloviansk directly from the southeast and create a real threat of a deep envelopment of the right flank of the “Starobilsk” Operational Tactical Group (OTG). If the enemy succeeds in achieving operational surprise along these directions and advances to tactical depth, the situation in the Kolodyazi–Hryhorivka section on the Lyman direction will deteriorate significantly for the “Kharkiv” OTG.
The enemy's “Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping will try to envelope Pokrovsk and bypass the “fortress belt” in Donetsk Oblast from the west in the coming months. The enemy command may attempt to exploit the penetration in the Pokrovsk–Toretsk sector to envelop Pokrovsk from the northeast and north and to bypass the defenses of the “Khortytsia” Operational and Strategic Grouping (OSG) in Kostyantynivka from the southwest and west. Further Russian advance north and west of the Razyne directly depends on the combat capability of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army, the 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army and the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps. Enemy troops will have to force the Kazennyi Torets River in multiple sections to advance west of Razyne and capture villages along the Pokrovsk – Oleksandrivka line to completely cut off Ukrainian logistics
An envelopment of Pokrovsk from the northeast requires the enemy to significantly advance in the direction of Rodynske, capture it, and establish a powerful defense area there. This will enable attacks on Pokrovsk or advancement to Novooleksandrivka with the aim of cutting off the M30 Pokrovsk – Pavlohrad highway and forcing the “Khortytsia” OSG to withdraw from Pokrovsk under threat of encirclement. Other options for enemy actions include advancing north of Udachne or Kotlyne with the goal of cutting off the M30 highway if they manage to break through Ukrainian defenses, or attempting to wedge between Dobropillya and Kostyantynivka to bypass the "fortress belt" from the west. Russian troops will try to advance to Rodynske from positions in the Novoekonomichne area and force Ukrainian Defense Forces to withdraw from Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad under threat of encirclement before resuming the offensive in the direction of Kostyantynivka. Russian troops will attack west of Razyne in the direction of Rodynske to cut off Ukrainian logistics along the T0515 Pokrovsk – Dobropillya highway.
The enemy's development of its operational success in the Novopavlivka direction threatens to destabilize the situation on the Pokrovsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, leading to negative consequences for Ukrainian Defense Forces in both operational and strategic terms. If the command of Ukrainian Defense Forces fails to stabilize the situation on this direction in the near future, then Ukraine’ military-political leadership should prepare for the opening of the Pavlohrad operational direction and the emergence of operational complications for the "Tavriya" OSG on the Zaporizhzhia direction.
Russian troops have formed a wide and relatively flat front line in the border areas of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts from Malynivka to Zelenyi Hai, from which the enemy can attack in the direction of Huliaypole, Velykomykhaylivka, and Havrylivka. The “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping may intend to attack westward through Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, attempting to use the H15 Kurakhove – Zaporizhzhia highway for rapid advancement and to create convenient supply routes for the grouping from Donetsk. Enemy troops advancing west of Zelenyi Hai will have to force the Khaychur, Solona, Verkhnya Tersa, and Vovcha rivers, cross the T0408 Preobrazhennia – Novomykolayivka and T0401 Pokrovsk – Huliaypole highways, and capture several cities the size of Chasiv Yar, which could become a significant problem for the aggressor. As of today, a rapid advance of approximately 150 km from positions in Novokhatske to Zaporizhzhia is extremely unlikely, considering the current pace of the enemy's offensive.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 18.07.25
Personnel - almost 1,039 830 (+1,190);
Tanks – 11,032 (+3);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 23,005 (+9);
Artillery systems – 30,485 (+47);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,441 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,197 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 55,494 (+111);
Aircraft - 421 (0);
Helicopters – 340 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 46,549 (+135);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 3,491 (0);
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
From the evening of July 17, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 35 Shahed attack drones and various types of decoy drones; air defense forces destroyed 11 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and 6 more were suppressed by electronic warfare systems. At the same time, 18 strikes were recorded in five locations and debris from downed drones fell in two more.
On the night of July 18, Russian troops struck a residential area of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, resulting in four people being wounded and damage to residential buildings, a family doctor's outpatient clinic, and an educational institution.
On the night of July 18, Russian troops attacked Zaporizhzhia Raion with at least nine Shahed kamikaze drones, wounding a 79-year-old man, causing fires, and destroying several non-residential buildings.
On the night of July 18, Russians launched a guided aerial bomb strike on the residential area of Stepnohirsk community in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. As a result of the attack, a 64-year-old man was killed, and fires broke out in several multi-story buildings.
On the night of July 18, Russian drones attacked Pavlohrad Raion of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing a 52-year-old man, an electric locomotive driver, and wounding two others. A transport enterprise was damaged, a fire broke out, the Rozdory community was also hit, and an FPV-drone attack was recorded in Nikopol, with three enemy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles shot down.
On the morning of July 18, Russian invaders attacked a volunteer vehicle evacuating civilians from Rodynske with a drone and dropped a FAB-250 on Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, resulting in one woman killed and four others wounded.
As a result of the morning Russian drone attack on Kamianske Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a man and a woman were killed, and 11 more people were wounded, including a 29-year-old woman who is in serious condition. Administrative buildings, a school, a shop, private houses, and cars were damaged, and a fire broke out.
On July 18, Russian troops attacked Sumy community twice with drones, targeting civilian infrastructure. As a result of one of the strikes, three local residents were wounded and hospitalized.
On the evening of July 18, a large-scale air raid alert was declared in Ukraine due to the threat of Russia using ballistic missiles. A series of explosions occurred in the city of Dnipro.
A Russian FPV-drone hit the car of the Chief Rabbi of Kherson, Yosef Wolf, and his family around 9:00 PM on July 17 on the approach to the city. The drone crashed into the car at high speed, causing serious mechanical damage to the front of the vehicle, but the rabbi, his wife, and their young daughter miraculously were not harmed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and tasked him with intensifying the "negotiation track" with Russia.
As of July 17, natural gas reserves in Ukrainian underground storage facilities exceeded 9 billion cubic meters, with storage facilities filled to 29.2%. This is 13.9% (1.45 billion cubic meters) less than last year and is the lowest indicator in the last 12 years. However, for the first time since the beginning of the season, the lag has decreased to less than 15%.