Russia's war on Ukraine. 24.03.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces are advancing towards Oleshnia. The 51st Airborne Regiment of the 106th Airborne Division is fighting for Basivka. The enemy entered Volodymyrivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continued attacks in Belgorod Oblast near Grafovka and Demidovka, advancing to its southern outskirts, taking advantage of the enemy's communication and coordination problems. Ukrainian Defense Forces' aviation struck an enemy command post in the area of Glotovo, Belgorod Oblast, destroying its communication hub.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces attacked near Vovchansk, attempting to cross the Vovcha River but are unable to deploy armored vehicles across the river without pontoon crossings.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces continued their offensive but did not advance. The enemy attacked near Petropavlivka, Zahryzove, and Nadiya, attempting to enter Bohuslavka. Units of the 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army resumed attacks on the bridgehead in the Dvorichna area, unsuccessfully attempting to advance towards Kindrashivka and capture Zapadne. The enemy is advancing along the Oskil River, attempting to link the Dvorichna-Novomlynsk bridgehead with the bridgehead in the Krasne Pershe area. The enemy is attacking along the Dvorichna-Krasne Pershe road between the Oskil River and Fiholivka, which it recently lost. Despite a series of attacks by the forward units of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division and the 4th Tank Division, supported by the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army, the enemy has not achieved significant progress towards Borova. The 2nd Motorized Rifle Division is unable to break through along the Oskil River and fully capture Zahryzove; the 4th Tank Division and the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade cannot break through between Lozova and Pershotravneve towards the hamlet of Zelenyi Hai and the village of Borivska Andriivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces liberated the village of Nadiya, the adjacent wooded area, and advanced towards Raihorodka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces advanced near Novolyubivka and west of Ivanivka, attacking in the direction of Nove and Novomykhailivka, near Yampolivka, Kolodyazi, Dibrova, and Torsk
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces attacked near Bilohorivka, Verkhnyokamianske, Ivano-Dariivka, and Spirne.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Chasiv Yar, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Andriivka, and Stupochky.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continue counterattacks near Stupochky.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced along Chaikovskoho Street in the north of Toretsk, attacked near the city, Druzhba, Krymske, Dyliivka, Shcherbynivka, and Panteleymonivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy captured Vodyane Druhe, advanced along Vesela Street in Shevchenkove, near Sukhyi Yar, and south of Sribne. Russian forces continued attacks near Pokrovsk, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Pishchane, Novoukrainka, Novoandriivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Uspenivka, Kotlyarivka, and Bohdanivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Udachne, Solone, and Shevchenkove, striking enemy logistics in the Selydove area towards Novotroitske and near Karlivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces continued attacks near Bahatyr, Andriivka, Konstyantynopil, and Rozlyv. Over the past four days, the enemy, operating from the Novoyelyzavetivka-Sribne line, has launched multiple attacks towards Nadiivka-Kotlyarivka and Sribne-Troitske, aiming to bypass Preobrazhenka from the north and south and eliminate Ukrainian Defense Forces' positions in this area. The enemy managed to expand the penetration zone by several hundred meters south of the village in the area of the village of Zaporizhzhia and occupied a forest strip to its north. Ukrainian Defense Forces' units are fiercely resisting near Nadiivka on both sides of the road to Kotlyarivka and in the village itself, preventing the enemy from consolidating its position. The 110th and 114th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 51st Combined Arms Army, along with the 36th, 39th, and 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of "Vostok (East)" Operational Group are attempting to break through westward along both banks of the Vovcha River near Andriivka and Konstyantynopil. Fighting is ongoing along the Konstyantynopil-Rozlyv line, in the Andriivka area, and northwest of it. The enemy is unable to achieve significant success here.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Konstyantynopil, holding positions within the town and on its western outskirts, repelling an enemy assault towards Novopavlivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces attacked near Vesele and Novosilka. Over the past three to five days, the pace of the enemy's offensive has significantly slowed. The 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 5th Combined Arms Army, advancing along the main axis on the western bank of the Mokri Yaly River, has practically halted, though its forward units continue intensive attempts to attack towards Burlatske-Shevchenko and from the Dniproenerhiya and Skudne areas towards Vesele and Fedorivka. The assault units of the 40th and 336th Separate Marines Brigades, attached to the 36th Combined Arms Army, have limited combat capability after battles near Velyka Novosilka, Novoocheretuvate, and Novyi Komar.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Vesele and Vilne Pole.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces are trying to advance east and south of Lobkove, attacking near Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, Shcherbaky, and Novodanylivka.
Forward units of the 108th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division, supported by units of the 503rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division or the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division, continue their unsuccessful attempts to break through in the Pyatykhatky-Stepove direction and reach the Stepove-Shcherbaky road.
On the Prydniprovskyi direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces launched a fire strike on the concentration area of a combined technical support company of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 49th Combined Arms Army in Dnipryany, destroying floating craft and military-technical equipment.
General conclusion:
Russian forces are focusing on bypassing Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, but Ukrainian defenses are impeding their progress.
The command of the 6th Combined Arms Army is attempting to build on its success along the Oskil River by merging several small tactical bridgeheads into a single one. The offensive by the flanking forces of the enemy's "Sever (North)" and "Zapad (West)" Operational Groupings was unsuccessful, so the enemy may revert to pushing Ukrainian Defense Forces out of their bridgehead on the Oskil River east of Kupyansk.
On the Lyman direction, the command of the 20th Combined Arms Army is trying to expand its bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River to an operational-tactical scale. The 3rd Motorized Rifle Division attacks in the direction of Makiivka - Hrekivka, while the 144th Motorized Rifle Division is advancing toward Ivanivka - Kolodyazi and Ivanivka - Zelena Dolyna, achieving minor progress.
The 25th Combined Arms Army is attempting to fully expel the "Khortytsia" Operational-Strategic Group (OSG) from its bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River by attacking both in the direction of Terny – Yampolivka along the river from north to south and toward Yampolivka.
The increased enemy activity on the Lyman direction is an attempt to break through from the northeast toward the Drobysheve area and reach the Lyman- Yampolivka line. The enemy is trying to create conditions for eliminating the Siverskyi Salient of Ukrainian Defense Forces, where Ukrainian forward units hold a defensive line 7 km west of Lysychansk. The continued control by "Khortytsia" OSG over positions on the northern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River from Yampolivka to Bilohorivka effectively undermines these enemy plans.
On the Novopavlivka direction, forward units of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Combined Arms Army have intensified activity.
On the Huliaypole direction, the command of the 5th Combined Arms Army and the enemy's "Vostok (East)" Operational Grouping are concerned about the slowing pace of their advance toward the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk highway on both banks of the Mokri Yaly River. Without securing control over the Shevchenko – Burlatske – Pryvilne – Vilne Pole area, the enemy's problems near Komar, within the 127th Motorized Rifle Division’s offensive zone, will only increase. As of today, the enemy has not only failed to take this area but has also been unable to fully capture Burlatske and Pryvilne.
On the Orikhiv direction, the command of the 58th Combined Arms Army is working to cut the rear supply routes of the "Tavriya" OSG between Orikhiv and Kamianske, particularly along the Stepove - Shcherbaky stretch, aiming to severely hinder the Ukrainian Defense Forces' maneuverability in the area.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 140 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, the enemy attempted once to breach Ukrainian defensive lines towards Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, five enemy attacks took place. Ukrainian Defense Forces halted enemy assault actions near Zahryzove, Petropavlivka, and Bohuslavka.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 11 times, attempting to penetrate defenses near Yampolivka, and in the directions of Nove, Novomykhailivka, and Zelena Dolyna.
On the Siversk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped five enemy attacks near Bilohorivka, and in the directions of Ivano-Dariivka and Verkhnyokamianske.
On the Kramatorsk direction, two engagements were recorded near Orikhovo-Vasylivka and Chasiv Yar.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 17 attacks near Toretsk, Shcherbynivka, and towards Dyliivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 61 enemy assault actions towards Panteleymonivka, Vodyane Druhe, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Andriivka, Kotlyne, Uspenivka, Bohdanivka, and towards Serhiivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy carried out eight attacks near Konstyantynopil, Rozlyv, Vesele, and in the Skudne area.
On the Huliaypole direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped three enemy attempts to advance near Novopil and Novosilka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continue operations in Kursk Oblast. The enemy conducted 12 airstrikes and 17 assault actions.
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, with a total salvo of 12 missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 4 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out drone strikes on targets in Bryansk, Rostov, Voronezh, and Belgorod Oblasts, as well as in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Traffic on the Kerch Bridge was temporarily halted.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 155th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, the 25th Detachment of the Combat Army Reserve, the "Anvar" Volunteer Special Forces Detachment, and the "Grom-Kaskad" Unmanned Aviation Brigade (formerly the "Kaskad" Detachment of the Combat Army Reserve) operate in Belgorod Oblast.
The 752nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division and the 254th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army operate near Nadiya.
The 68th Tank Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army and the 20th Motorized Rifle Regiment operate near Oleksandro-Kalynove. The 150th Motorized Rifle Division (103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment, 68th Tank Regiment), the 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment, and the 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Combined Arms Army operate near Toretsk.
The 656th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 29th Combined Arms Army is active in the Shakhtarsk direction, the 40th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet is engaged near Vesele, the 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army is deployed in the direction of Vremivka, the 108th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division and the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army advance toward Huliaypole, and the 38th and 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 35th Combined Arms Army, along with the 1198th Motorized Rifle Regiment, advance toward Polohy.
The 37th Detachment of the Combat Army Reserve "Sarmat" and the 108th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division advance toward Zaporizhzhia, while the 32nd Detachment of the Combat Army Reserve named after P. Sudoplatov and the 429th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army operate near Kamianske.
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 enemy cannot establish a full-fledged buffer zone on the border of Kursk and Sumy Oblasts, so the simplest option may be an invasion of Sumy Oblast by a grouping of 22,000–27,000 military personnel along the Sumy–Sudzha highway within a 35–40 km-wide zone (stretching from Zhuravka to Myropillya). This territory has already been turned into a buffer zone by Ukrainian Defense Forces, which will greatly complicate enemy actions.
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.
On the Kramatorsk direction, the envelopment of Chasiv Yar from the south by advancing toward Stupochky will be a priority for the command of the 3rd Combined Arms Army and the 98th Airborne Division of the enemy. To achieve this, the enemy may redeploy additional forces from the 85th or 88th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 3rd Combined Arms Army to this direction from the southern sector.
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.
In the near future, the enemy command may shift the main attack direction of the 90th Tank Division toward the Andriivka area (part of the 428th Motorized Rifle Regiment, as well as the 67th and 87th Rifle Regiments). The reinforcement of division units with elements of the 239th or 6th Tank Regiments cannot be ruled out. To regain the pace of the offensive, the enemy command will likely attempt one of two obvious decisions: shifting its main efforts from the operational zone of the 5th Combined Arms Army to the zone of the 36th Combined Arms Army (along the eastern bank of the Mokri Yaly River) or deploying the reserves of "Vostok (East)" Operational Grouping in the operational zone of the 5th Combined Arms Army. The reserves of "Vostok (East)" Operational Grouping (likely elements of the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 5th Tank Brigade) have limited combat capability, with only one reinforced battalion in each brigade ready for action within 24 hours.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 24.03.25
Personnel - almost 904,760 (+1,280);
Tanks – 10,420 (+8);
Armored combat vehicles – 21,652 (+16);
Artillery systems – 25,129 (+81);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,338 (+5);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,117 (+1);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 41,726 (+116);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 335 (+4);
UAV operational and tactical level – 30,641 (+146);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,121 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
Starting in the evening of March 23, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 99 strike UAVs of the Shahed type and various types of decoy drones. As of 08:00, 57 strike UAVs have been confirmed shot down, while 36 enemy decoy drones have been lost from radar (without negative consequences). The Russian attack affected Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kirovohrad, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.
One minute before midnight on March 24, an explosion was heard in Zaporizhzhia. Later, a fire was reported due to enemy shelling, and a woman was injured. Windows of apartment buildings, a garage, and private houses nearby were damaged. A 37-year-old man was injured.
In the evening of March 23, the enemy attacked an agricultural enterprise in the village of Velykyi Burluk, Kupiansk Raion, with strike UAVs. Warehouse facilities burned down.
On the afternoon of March 24, Russian occupation forces launched a missile strike on the city of Sumy. Several apartment buildings and a school were damaged. According to preliminary data, 88 people were injured, including 17 children.
On March 24, 2025, at around 13:00, the occupiers dropped an explosive from a drone onto one of the streets in the settlement of Shalyhyne, Shostka Raion. As a result of the attack, a 27-year-old man and his 46-year-old mother were injured and hospitalized.
During the day, Russian forces attacked Synelnykove and Nikopol districts in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with drones and artillery. Two people were injured as a result. One of them was hospitalized in moderate condition.
Late in the evening of March 24, Izium came under attack by enemy drones. Strikes by 14 Shahed-type UAVs were recorded. As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out in civilian non-residential infrastructure. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties.
Russian occupiers have illegally removed 164 archaeological artifacts from occupied Crimea. These were discovered during excavations of the ancient cities of "Nymphaion" and "Panticapaeum," according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.