Russia’s war on Ukraine. 20.11.25
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky direction, Russian forces attacked near Kindrativka, Andriivka, Yunakivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Oleksiivka and Varachyne.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Russian forces attacked near Synelnykove, Vovchansk, Odradne, Kamyanka, Dvorichanske, in the direction of Kolodyazne, attempted to advance toward Khatnie.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces advanced north of Borivska Andriivka, attempted to advance toward highway R07 Kupyansk–Shevchenkove in the north of Kupyansk, are demining the southern part of Kupyansk, struck Ukrainian IFVs in Sadove, attacked near and inside Kupyansk, near Sobolivka, Myrove, Radkivka, Holubivka, Synkivka, Kucherivka, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Kurylivka, Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, in the direction of Osynove, near Bohuslavka, in the direction of Novoplatonivka, Shyikivka, near Nadiia, Druzhelyubivka. The enemy is attempting to reinforce its units in Kupyansk, fearing Defense Forces strikes on Russian logistics. The command of the 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army is forcing servicemen to infiltrate Ukrainian positions through the Aidar–Shebelinka gas pipeline near Lozova and Borivska Andriivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Kupyansk, Kutkivka, Holubivka, Sadove, Blahodiivka, Kolisnykivka, Zahryzove, are clearing the northern part of Kupyansk.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces attacked near Lyman, Drobysheve, Korovyi Yar, Shandryholove, Novoselivka, in the direction of Oleksandrivka, near Novyi Myr, Karpivka, Stavky, Zarichne, Maslyakivka, Yampil, in the direction of Dibrova.
On the Sloviansk direction, Russian forces attempted to advance south of Siversk, northwest of Pereyizne, attacked near Dronivka, Serebrianka, Fedorivka, Vasyukivka, Zvanivka.
On the Kostyantynivka direction, Russian forces advanced northwest of Zaliznyanske, northeast of Volodymyrivka, attacked near Kostyantynivka, in the direction of Virolyubivka, near Minkivka, Chasiv Yar, in the direction of Bondarne, near Stupochky, Bila Hora, Shcherbynivka, Pleshchiivka, Toretsk, in the direction of Stepanivka, near Rusyn Yar, Sofiivka, Volodymyrivka, Novoolenivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces advanced southwest of Toretske, in the center of Shakhove, attempted to advance south of Hryshyne, west of Rodynske, attacked near Novе Shakhove, Pankivka, Zaporizhzhia, near and inside Pokrovsk, near Hryshyne, Rodynske, near Krasnyi Lyman, Novoekonomichne, Rivne, Myrnohrad, Novopavlivka, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, carried out an airstrike on Myrnohrad using an FAB-3000 bomb with UMPK.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Novе Shakhove, Myrnohrad, Hryshyne, Rodynske, Sukhetske, are striking enemy infantry that infiltrated Pokrovsk along highway O0525 on the northwestern outskirts of the city.
On the Oleksandrivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck Russian positions along Molodizhna Street in the north of Novopavlivka, counterattacked near Tykhe.
Russian forces attempted to seize Tykhe, advance north along highway T0428 Novopavlivka–Dachne on the east of Novopavlivka, seize the western and northern parts of the settlement, attacked near Novomykolayivka, Filiya, Dachne, Zelenyi Hai, Oleksandrohrad, Vorone, Sosnivka, Verbove, Oleksiivka. Enemy units operate on the northwestern outskirts of Novopavlivka on the northern bank of the Solona River.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces attempted to advance west and southwest of Pryvillya, attacked near Yehorivka, Rivnopillya, Yablukove, in the direction of Dobropillya, near Solodke, Zlahoda, Pryvilne, Krasnohirske, Rybne, Pavlivka, Malynivka, Zelenyi Hai, Vesele, Zatyshshya.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Malynivka, Yablukove, Radisne, Novе Zaporizhzhia.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces attacked near Mala Tokmachka, north of Nestyanka, near Shcherbaky, Stepove, Novoandriivka, Prymorske, Kamianske and Stepnohirsk.
Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out an airstrike using AASM bombs on a command post and UAV control point south of Dolynka.
General conclusion:
The 7th Company of 1/1432nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 1st Tank Army reports danger due to constant Ukrainian strikes on routes in the Kupyansk Direction, causing many servicemembers to refuse to move to designated areas. About 100 servicemembers of the 112th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army were sent to attack on the Kupyansk Direction, but 80 of them refused to perform the combat task as part of assault groups. In Kupyansk, between 150 and 200 enemy servicemembers remain. The 26th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 47th Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army is manned at 50 percent; it has up to 200 servicemembers in the area of Hlushkivka, of whom about 100 are at the frontline.
Enemy UAV operators deliver strikes on the logistics of Ukrainian Defense Forces in central Borova, aimed at weakening Ukrainian logistics in the rear and forming part of a broader campaign of UAV air dominance on the Kupyansk Direction.
Ukrainian Defense Forces’ UAVs control the territory from Chasiv Yar to Bakhmut, while enemy UAVs control the territory from Chasiv Yar to Kostyantynivka.
UAV strikes and counterattacks by the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces of the Ukrainian Defense Forces prevent the enemy from using vehicles and concentrating manpower in Pokrovsk, slowing the advance rate of the 2nd Combined Arms Army in Pokrovsk. The advance rate began to slow in early November 2025. Fire control over enemy logistics routes forced the Command of the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping to move in groups of two to three servicemembers to sustain logistics to Pokrovsk.
The enemy attempts to use heavy fog to deliver manpower and materiel to Pokrovsk in vehicles from the south along the M30 Pokrovsk–Selydove highway. The enemy in Pokrovsk did not form a continuous line of contact. Maneuvering by both sides within the 15–20 km kill zone around Pokrovsk is complicated. The enemy will capture Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, although the timelines and operational consequences remained unclear.
Enemy attacks from Molodetske in the direction of Novopidhorodnie and from Muravka toward Bilyavka were signs of activation of the offensive northeast of Novopavlivka.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 200 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, the enemy assaulted Ukrainian Defense Forces positions 11 times near Vovchansk, Synelnykove, Kamyanka, Kutkivka and in the direction of Kolodyazne and Dvorichanske.
On the Kupyansk direction, 5 enemy attacks took place. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled enemy assault actions in the areas of Petropavlivka, Pishchane and in the directions of Novoosynove and Shyikivka.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 17 times, attempting to advance near Nadiia, Druzhelyubivka, Novyi Myr, Karpivka, Stavky, Zarichne, Drobysheve, Shandryholove, Zelena Dolyna, Novoselivka, as well as in the direction of Oleksandrivka, Lyman and Shyikivka.
On the Sloviansk direction, in the areas of Yampil, Zakytne, Verkhnyokamianske, Serebrianka, Dibrova, Dronivka, Siversk, Vyimka and Fedorivka the enemy attacked 13 times.
On the Kostyantynivka direction the enemy conducted 33 attacks in the areas of Vasyukivka, Minkivka, Virolyubivka, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, in the direction of Bilokuzmynivka, near Bila Hora, Kostyantynivka, Shcherbynivka, Toretsk, Pleshchiivka, Rusyn Yar, Novoolenivka, Stepanivka, Sofiivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 55 assault and offensive actions of the aggressor were stopped in the areas of Shakhove, Novе Shakhove, Pankivka, Nykanorivka, Chervonyi Lyman, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Novoekonomichne, Rivne, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Molodetske, Balahan, Udachne, Novopavlivka, Novomykolayivka, Filiya, Dachne and in the direction of Hryshyne.
On the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked 12 times in the areas of Oleksandrohrad, Vorone, Sosnivka, Verbove, Zlahoda, Pryvilne, Yehorivka, Krasnohirske.
On the Huliaypole Direction, 11 enemy attacks were stopped in the areas of Rivnopillya, Zelenyi Hai and in the direction of Zatyshshya and Zelene.
On the Orikhiv Direction, the enemy attacked 4 times in the areas of Novoandriivka, Stepove and Prymorske.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces delivered a missile strike on the “Baltimor” airbase near Voronezh, the basing airfield of the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Aerospace Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Su-34), and on the Pogonovo training ground in Voronezh Oblast, where enemy troops concentrated before being sent to Ukraine.
UAV airstrikes were delivered on the Ilsk oil refinery in Ilsk of Krasnodar Krai, the Ryazan oil refinery, the energy infrastructure in Novomoskovsk of Tula Oblast, and Rylsk of Kursk Oblast.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
Units of the “Rubikon” Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies, the 51st Airborne Regiment of the 106th Airborne Division, and the 56th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division deliver strikes on Ukrainian military equipment near Mykilske.
The command of the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping prepares to commit the 3/1432nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 1st Tank Army into battle near Tabaiivka and Novoosynove. The 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army delivers strikes on Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk Direction. The 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army operates south of Kupyansk.
The 123rd, 7th, 88th, and 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades and the 2nd Artillery Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army advance on the Siversk Direction.
The 56th Separate SOF Battalion of the 51st Combined Arms Army delivers strikes on Ukrainian positions near Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, and the 68th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army operates near Rayske, Kramatorsk, Zatyshok, and Zaporizhzhia.
The 657th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion of the 29th Combined Arms Army operates near Kolomiytsi.
The 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 5th Combined Arms Army operates in the Direction of Dobropillya and Varvarivka, and the 114th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the division operates in the Direction of Huliaypole.
Possible operation situation developments:
The Defense Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry assesses that while the enemy is unlikely to capture all of Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2025, it may reach the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia and the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk area by early winter. Additionally, if current fighting continues at the same pace, the enemy could possibly take control of Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka, and Kupyansk no earlier than year’s end.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy’s 6th Army troops will be bypassing Kupyansk as deeply as possible in the general direction of the Chuhuiv– Kupyansk highway and will fight for the area of Mala Shapkivka–Velyka Shapkivka–Kindrashivka–Tyshchenkivka.
On the Lyman direction, the troops of the enemy’s 20th Combined Arms Army will attempt to reach the Siverskyi Donets River along the widest possible front, cut all main routes that do not cross the river, and block the town of Lyman from the northwest, for which they will advance toward the area of Yarova–Novoselivka–Drobysheve–Pryshyb. Ukrainian Defense Forces’ 11th Army Corps will continue to defend along the Novoselivka–Stavky line.
The enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping will attack in the directions of Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka and Druzhkivka, attempting to cut the H20 highway Kostyantynivka–Sloviansk, which will complicate the logistics of the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ 19th Army Corps in Kostyantynivka. The enemy will deliver concentric strikes simultaneously from Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, the Kleban-Byk Reservoir, and from the Poltavka–Novoolenivka line.
The command of the “Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping has clearly sensed the possibility of a relatively organized withdrawal of Ukrainian Defense Forces from the encirclement the enemy is creating, particularly from Myrnohrad. To prevent this, the aggressor is making efforts to achieve a deeper envelopment of the Pokrovsk defense area from the west, advancing north from the Udachne–Kotlyne line and attempting to break through toward Hryshyne. A withdrawal of Defense Forces elements from Myrnohrad to the Dobropillya area could affect the overall situation regarding its bridgehead west of the Kazennyi Torets. To prevent deterioration of the situation, the 51st Combined Arms Army will urgently organize and conduct counterattacks in the areas of Ivanivka and Nove Shakhove.
On the Oleksandrivka direction, the main operational-tactical objective of the command of the enemy’s “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping is to envelop the Huliaypole defensive area from the north and block its main lines of communication, primarily from the Pokrovske side. The enemy will try to break through to the Khaychur River and to the Huliaypole–Pokrovske road on the Dobropillya–Varvarivka section and will attempt to reach Pokrovske directly from the southeast with the forces of the 36th Combined Arms Army and the right flank of the 5th Combined Arms Army.
On the Orikhiv direction, the “Dnepr” Operational Grouping will attempt to break through along the left bank of the Dnipro River from the Plavni – Kamianske line toward Stepnohirsk and from the Stepove – Mali Shcherbaky line in the northern direction.
On the Prydniprovske direction, the command of the enemy’s “Dnepr” Operational Grouping will continue trying to take control of most of the island zone in the Dnipro delta in the direction of Kherson, will try to create a tactical bridgehead on the right bank, and to eliminate the tactical bridgeheads of the 30th Marine Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of the automobile and railway bridges near Antonivka.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 20.11.25
Personnel - almost 1,162 120 (+890);
Tanks – 11,357 (+1);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 23,597 (+2);
Artillery systems – 34,530 (+19);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,546 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,247 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 67,703 (+68);
Aircraft - 428 (0);
Helicopters – 347 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 82,470 (+384);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 3,981 (+41);
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
During the night of 20 November, Russian invaders attacked with 136 strike drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, and other types, about 80 of which were Shaheds. According to preliminary data, as of 8:30, air defense shot down and suppressed 106 enemy UAVs. At the same time, 29 strike UAV impacts were recorded at 16 locations, as well as falling debris at three locations, and the attack continued, as enemy unmanned aerial vehicles remain in the airspace.
At night the enemy attacked the energy infrastructure of the Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv Oblasts. As a result, there are de-energized consumers, in particular in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. On 20 November, as of 9:30, electricity consumption was 2.6% lower than at the same time the previous day, Wednesday. The reason for these changes is the larger volume of restriction measures applied.
As a result of Russian shelling in the city of Kherson on 20 November, two people were injured: in the morning in the Korabelnyi District, a 17-year-old girl sustained a mine-blast injury, a concussion, and an acute stress reaction, and at night in the Dniprovskyi District, an 85-year-old Kherson resident was injured.
Three men were injured, one of whom is in serious condition, as a result of a Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The occupiers struck with unmanned aerial vehicles at the Pavlohradskyi District, Pavlohrad, and the Bohdanivska Community, where there were impacts on infrastructure and a fire broke out. In the Synelnykivskyi District, a farm caught fire, domestic animals were killed, and an administrative building and a power line were damaged. In addition, the Nikopol District came under fire from artillery, Grad MLRS, and FPV drones, as a result of which a private house was damaged.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation shelled Molodizhne in Kherson Oblast at approximately 13:00, as a result of which a 58-year-old woman walking down the street was injured. The woman sustained blast and closed craniocerebral injuries, a concussion, as well as shrapnel wounds to the head and torso, and was hospitalized in moderate condition.
As of the morning of 20 November, rescuers continued clearing the rubble at the site of the destroyed apartment building in Ternopil, and more than 20 people still had not made contact. The number of dead and injured has not changed as of the morning. As of the evening, 6 of the 20 people reported that they were safe, while 14 remain missing. Fifty-two people are in hospitals, 17 of them children. The rubble removal continues.
In Dnipro, as a result of a Russian drone attack on 19 November, a food warehouse of the UN World Food Program was damaged. The strike caused a fire. At least 10,000 food packages intended to support civilians near the front line were destroyed.
The nuclear power plants under Ukrainian control were forced to reduce their output on 19 November after Russian shelling of energy facilities around the stations. The Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants, which had already been reducing electricity production earlier this month, further reduced output after each lost connection with one of their high-voltage transmission lines. The IAEA teams based at these facilities were forced to take shelter during the morning air-raid alerts. The Pivdennoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant also lost connection with a high-voltage transmission line and reported detecting 11 unmanned aerial vehicles during the night at a distance of one kilometer from the facility.
The CEO of the mobile operator Kyivstar, Oleksandr Komarov, noted that the company has been experiencing one of its most difficult periods with electricity since the summer of 2024, with about 30% of the network without power.
On 20 November, repatriation activities took place, as a result of which 1,000 bodies that, according to the Russian Federation, belong to Ukrainian servicemen were returned to Ukraine.
The Rakuten Viber team conducted a survey among more than 19,000 of its users regarding support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and acquaintances serving as soldiers through donations, as well as information sources about new fundraising efforts. According to the results, 64% of respondents donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is 1% more than at the end of 2024. The largest share — 42% — donates regularly from each paycheck (compared to 44% at the end of 2024), 26% help in other ways, 14% donate irregularly after shelling, 8% help every day little by little, 6% do not see the point in it, and 4% serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As for information sources, exactly half of respondents (50%) support fundraisers of friends and acquaintances, 14% learn from the news and news channels, 12% from bloggers and influencers, 5% follow large foundations, and 19% learn in other ways.