Russia's war on Ukraine. 18.08.25
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky direction, the 346th and 1427th Motorized Rifle Regiments of Mobilization Reserve defend near Tetkino.
Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out a strike on an enemy convoy on the 38K-040 Rylsk-Khomutovka highway, south of Zhuryatino. Deputy commander of the enemy's “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping, Lieutenant General E. Abachov, was wounded. Ukrainian Defense Forces units advanced near Novomykolayivka, Yablunivka, and counterattacked near Sadky.
Russian troops attacked near Oleksiivka, Novokostyantynivka, Varachyne, and Yunakivka.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Russian troops tried to advance to Tykhe and west of Synelnykove and attacked near Vovchansk and Vovchanski Khutory.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Vovchanski Khutory and Synelnykove.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops attacked near Kupyansk, Sobolivka, Kindrashivka, Holubivka, Zakhidne, Krasne Pershe, Kamyanka, Petropavlivka, and Stepova Novoselivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian troops unsuccessfully tried to advance south of Kolodyazi, and attacked near Shandryholove, Serednie, Ridkodub, Karpivka, Zelena Dolyna, Zarichne, in the Stavky direction, and in the Serebriansk Forest area.
On the Siversk direction, the 7th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps captured Serebrianka. Russian troops attacked near Hryhorivka, Serebrianka, and Fedorivka.
On the Toretsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced southeast of Nelipivka, and counterattacked near Shcherbynivka.
Russian troops attacked near Toretsk, Dyliivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, Poltavka, Kleban-Byk, Katerynivka, and Shcherbynivka, and carried out a "Geran-2" drone strike on Rayske.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian troops advanced west of Novoekonomichne, are fighting for Kucheriv Yar, and attacked near Pokrovsk, Nove Shakhove, Zapovidne, Volodymyrivka, Rodynske, Promin, Myrnohrad, Lysivka, Novoukrainka, Chunyshyne, Troyanda, Leontovychi, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, and Molodetske.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian troops continued attacks in the Novopavlivka direction, in the Filya direction, and near Muravka, Orikhove, Tolstoy, Novokhatske, Piddubne, Myrne, Voskresenka, Shevchenkove, Ternove, Novomykolayivka, and Maliivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian troops attacked near Olhivske and Temyrivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian troops tried to advance in Mala Tokmachka and Stepnohirsk, and attacked in the Novodanylivka direction, and near Nesteryanka, Plavni, and Stepnohirsk.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked in Stepnohirsk, Plavni, and near Kamianske and Mala Tokmachka.
General conclusion:
The enemy advanced near Hryhorivka, Voskresenka, and Temyrivka.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces have recently intensified their activity, focusing on the capture of Kupyansk. Enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups attempt to penetrate Ukrainian positions in the area of Kivsharivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces mainly employ sabotage and reconnaissance groups, attempting to infiltrate the Ukrainian rear; their actions are supported by UAVs. A strike by an enemy UAV on a transformer substation in Lyman disrupted power supply in the area south of Lyman, complicating Ukrainian logistics.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces increased the number of assaults, artillery and air strikes, attacking with large numbers of personnel, armored vehicles, and motorcycles. The enemy is concentrating forces at the Lysychansk Refinery in Verkhnyokamianske and preparing to storm Siversk by the end of August.
The intensity of Russian attacks east and northeast of Dobropillya has decreased.
A unit of the Defense Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense destroyed an enemy ammunition depot in Melitopol.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 182 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, 4 combat engagements took place.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, the enemy assaulted the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces units 13 times in the Vovchansk area and in the directions of Khatnie and Odradne.
On the Kupyansk direction, 12 attacks by the occupiers took place. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the enemy's assault actions in the areas of Zakhidne, Kindrashivka, Petropavlivka, and Stepova Novoselivka and in the directions of Kupyansk and Nova Kruhlyakivka.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 21 times, trying to advance near Hrekivka, Karpivka, Ridkodub, and Hryhorivka and in the directions of Drobysheve, Yampil, and Kolodyazi.
On the Siversk direction, the enemy attacked 5 times in the areas of Hryhorivka, Fedorivka, and Vyimka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 5 combat engagements were recorded; the aggressor attacked in the directions of Predtechyne, Oleksandro-Shultyne, and Bila Hora.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 9 attacks in the areas of Toretsk and Shcherbynivka and toward Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, and Rusyn Yar.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 58 assault and offensive actions by the aggressor were stopped in the areas of Poltavka, Vilne, Nove Shakhove, Zapovidne, Novoekonomichne, Myroliubivka, Novoukrainka, Lysivka, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, and Dachne and in the directions of Volodymyrivka, Rodynske, Chervonyi Lyman, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Molodetske.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy attacked 28 times in the areas of Zelenyi Hai, Tolstoy, Oleksandrohrad, Voskresenka, Maliivka, Vilne Pole, and Temyrivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, the enemy made an unsuccessful attempt to advance in the direction of Novoandriivka.
On the Prydniprovske direction, the enemy made 4 futile attempts to approach the Defense Forces' positions.
Supporting operation:
There is no information.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 352nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps operates near Stepova Novoselivka, the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army is active on the Kupyansk direction.
The 16th Separate SOF Brigade strikes Ukrainian positions near Vovchynyi Yar.
The 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army operates from the area of Soledar.
The 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division and the 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Army operate near Kleban-Byk. The 1194th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 7th Military Base of the 49th Army strikes Ukrainian positions near Nelipivka.
The 114th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army and the 16th Separate SOF Brigade operate in the Pokrovsk direction, the 80th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the army is engaged near Myrnohrad, Poltavka, and Novoyehorivka.
The 69th Separate Cover Brigade of the 35th Army and the 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Army operate near Zaporizhzhia, the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 5th Army strikes Ukrainian forces near Komyshuvakha, the 305th Artillery Brigade of the army is active near Sosnivka.
The 247th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division operates near Stepnohirsk, the 108th Air Assault Regiment of the division and the 1st BARS detachment fight in the direction of Zaporizhzhia.
Possible operation situation developments:
According to the assessment of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the enemy will not be able to achieve the goal of the so-called special military operation to capture the entire Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2025. Provided current dynamics of combat operations are maintained, the enemy will be able to capture Pokrovsk by autumn, Kostyantynivka and Kupyansk by the end of the year, and reach the close approaches to Zaporizhzhia and the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration by early winter.
The command of the enemy's “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping, in cooperation with the right flank of the “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping, will expand its bridgehead northeast of Velykyi Burluk in the Southern Slobozhansky direction and will try to capture Khatnie.
On the Kupyansk direction, the command of the enemy's “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping will try to envelop the entire Kupyansk defense area of the “Khortytsia” OSG as deeply as possible from the north. The enemy will consolidate on the northern outskirts of Kupyansk and will try to paralyze the logistics support of Ukrainian Defense Forces' units defending in the city itself and east of it. The enemy will break through from the north and northeast to the R-07 Kharkiv–Chuhuiv–Kupyansk highway, attacking in the directions of Radkivka–Kovalivka and Radkivka–Myrne.
On the Lyman direction, the 25th Combined Arms Army will try to completely eliminate the bridgehead of Ukrainian Defense Forces on the northern bank of the Siverskyi Donets river in the area of the Serebriansk Forest. The troops of the 3rd Army Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces will soon be forced to leave their positions in the Serebriansk Forest and withdraw behind the Chornyi Zherebets river. Ukrainian units will withdraw towards Yampil and will try to stop the enemy along the Chornyi Zherebets river.
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. In the near future, the enemy will try to capture Pereyizne and attack Zvanivka along the eastern bank of the Bakhmutka River, trying to break through to Siversk from the south.
On the Toretsk direction, the troops of the 19th Army Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces will have to leave the Shcherbynivka-Novospaske-Katerynivka-Kleban Byk area, retreat south of the Kleban Byk reservoir, and try to stop the advance of the enemy's 3rd and 8th Combined Arms Armies on the Pleshchiivka – Oleksandro-Shultyne line and go on the defensive in the area of Dovha Balka – Illinivka – Berestok – Stepanivka.
Russian forces will attack in the direction of Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka and Druzhkivka to cut the Н20 Kostyantynivka-Sloviansk highway and complicate the logistics of Ukrainian Defense Forces in Kostyantynivka, thereby facilitating the capture of the "fortress belt". Russian forces may also try to advance northwest of Chasiv Yar in the direction of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, transferring part of the troops to attack along the E40 Bakhmut – Sloviansk highway for this purpose, thereby creating conditions for an assault on the "fortress belt" from the northeast.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy will develop its success in the area northeast of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration in the operational zone of the 51st Combined Arms Army. Russian forces will advance from the southwest and northeast in an effort to envelop Pokrovsk and disrupt the logistical routes of the 9th Army Corps of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The 51st Combined Arms Army will continue to bypass the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration from the north and northeast and will try to advance as deeply as possible to Dobropillya, which will sharply worsen the prospects for the defense of not only Dobropillya and Pokrovsk, but also Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka. The 2nd Combined Arms Army will then proceed to assault Pokrovsk from the south and southwest.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the command of the enemy's “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping in the operational zones of the 36th and 29th Combined Arms Armies will try to capture the area between the Vovcha and Mokri Yaly rivers and Vorona and Vovcha rivers and reach the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in the Ivanivka-Temyrivka section.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 18.08.25
Personnel - almost 1,070 890 (+940);
Tanks – 11,118 (+2);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 23,148 (+5);
Artillery systems – 31,632 (+43);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,469 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1208 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 58,937 (+116);
Aircraft - 422 (0);
Helicopters – 340 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 51,685 (+157);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 3,558 (0);
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
From the evening of August 17, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with four Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 140 Shahed strike drones and decoy drones of various types. Air defense destroyed or suppressed 88 drones, but missile and drone hits were recorded at 25 locations in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kyiv Oblasts.
On the night of August 19 in Kharkiv, Russian "Geran-2" drones attacked a residential area in the Industrial district: four drones hit a five-story building. Five adults and two children were killed, and 23 people were wounded, including six children. A large-scale fire broke out in the building, and the floors were destroyed. Six residential buildings and 15 cars were also damaged. The attack killed an entire family—a father, a mother, a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, a 16-year-old son, and a grandmother.
During the night, Russian invaders attacked Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with a missile and drones, and shelled with artillery, damaging industrial and transport enterprises, infrastructure, and residential buildings. No casualties have been reported.
On the night of August 18, the Russians once again launched a drone attack on the oil terminals of the Azerbaijani state company SOCAR, which caused a large-scale fire. SOCAR was attacked by 10 drones. According to preliminary information, there were no killed or wounded.
On the night of August 18, explosions were heard in Sumy; it was later revealed that the Russians had hit Sumy State University. Russia used at least four strike drones. One of the buildings was destroyed. The fire was extinguished by the morning.
During the night, the enemy attacked Kyiv Oblast with strike drones. The air raid alert lasted for almost an hour and was declared in the Boryspil and Brovary districts. As a result of the enemy attack, a hangar facility was damaged in the Boryspil district. There were no casualties among the population.
On the morning of August 18, Russian troops struck Zaporizhzhia with two Iskander missiles, trying to hit critical infrastructure facilities. 33 people were wounded, and 3 people were killed. The explosions caused fires in stores and at a bus stop, and damaged a minibus, residential buildings, and a workshop of one of the city's enterprises.
A video was discovered on one of the Telegram channels showing a serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with a white armband on his arm in the area of Rodynske of Pokrovsk district, opening aimed fire at a civilian. He then approached the victim, who was lying on the road, and after examining them, fled the crime scene.
On August 18, Russian troops attacked Dobropillya and Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast. The strikes killed four people and wounded seven, and damaged residential buildings, a restaurant, and a store.
Another 12 children were returned to Ukraine from the occupation, according to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Among them are 17-year-old Matvii, whom the occupiers forced to obtain a Russian Federation passport, 12-year-old Ruslan, who studied at a Ukrainian online school, and 16-year-old Artur and his 9-year-old sister, whose father disappeared after being tortured. The Russians also kidnapped and tortured the parents of other children.
On the evening of August 17 in a village of the Myropillya community in Sumy Oblast, a Russian drone attacked a civilian car. The 43-year-old driver was wounded and hospitalized.
At around 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, Russian troops carried out a guided aerial bomb strike on the Novoslobidska community, as a result of which a 57-year-old woman was wounded. Preliminary reports indicate damage to about 10 private houses.