Russia’s war on Ukraine. 24.03.26
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attempted to advance south of Bobylivka, attacked near Potapivka, in the direction of Nova Sich, near Pokrovka and Hrabovske.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attacked near Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, and Starytsya, in the direction of Zybine, Okhrymivka, and Hryhorivka, and advanced near Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk Direction, Russian forces attacked near and within Kupyansk, near Kivsharivka, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, and Kurylivka, in the direction of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, near Novoplatonivka, Bohuslavka, and Borivska Andriivka, in the direction of Shyikivka, near Hrekivka, Novomykhailivka, Olhivka, and Serednie, and advanced near Synkivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a fuel depot near Vedmezhe and a fuel train in Stanytsya Luhanska.
On the Sloviansk Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the western part of Zakitne. Russian forces attacked near Stavky, Yampil, Zakitne, Dibrova, Platonivka, Riznykivka, Kalenyky, Pazeno, Fedorivka Druha, Lypivka, and Nykyforivka.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced along the T0504 Pokrovsk–Kostyantynivka highway in the south of Kostyantynivka and counterattacked near Minkivka.
Russian forces attempted to advance along the T0504 Pokrovsk–Kostyantynivka highway, attacked near Kostyantynivka, Minkivka, Chasiv Yar, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Pleshchiivka, Kleban-Byk, Ivanopillya, Berestok, Illinivka, Rusyn Yar, Novopavlivka, and Sofiivka, and increased the intensity of fire and air strikes on Druzhkivka.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, Russian forces attacked near Novyi Donbas, Vilne, Pokrovsk, and Hryshyne, in the direction of Novooleksandrivka, Shevchenkove, and Svitle, near Rodynske, Bilytske, Myrnohrad, Udachne, Molodetske, Kotlyne, and Novopidhorodnie, in the direction of Serhiivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Udachne; Novyi Donbas is a grey zone.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, Russian forces attacked near Ternove, Stepove, Novohryhorivka, Yehorivka, Zlahoda, and Krasnohirske. The use of the highway in Horlivka is becoming impossible due to Ukrainian Defense Forces UAV strikes on vehicles.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Novooleksandrivka and struck a Tor-M1 SAM system launcher in Kurakhivka, a chemical munitions production workshop in Avdiivka, a Shahed UAV depot in Makiivka, a communications hub in Donetsk, and ammunition depots, logistics facilities, and artillery parking areas in Donetsk Oblast.
On the Huliaypole Direction, Russian forces attacked near Huliaypole, Staroukrainka, Olenokostyantynivka, Svyatopetrivka, Zelene, Solodke, Varvarivka, Myrne, and Zaliznychne.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Russian forces attacked near Mala Tokmachka, Stepnohirsk, Pavlivka, Novoboykivske, and Novoyakovlivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Richne.
On the Prydniprovske Direction, Russian forces conducted local attacks near Antonivsky Bridge.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the oil loading infrastructure of the “Transneft-Port Primorsk” oil terminal in Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast, and a Nebo-U radar in Bryansk Oblast.
Overall assessment of changes in the operational situation:
On the Sloviansk Direction, Russian forces continue to infiltrate in the grey zone, after which their groups wait for reinforcements before conducting further attacks.
On the Kramatorsk Direction, Russian forces have intensified artillery strikes over the past several weeks and are carrying out UAV and guided aerial bomb airstrikes on Chasiv Yar, Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Druzhkivka. Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed twice as many enemy personnel over the past week, indicating a gradual escalation. The aggressor attacks in small groups; its UAV operators strike any target they can find. Defense Forces UAV dominance is complicating the enemy’s advance from Berestok to the western outskirts of Kostyantynivka.
Russian forces have been increasingly conducting armored assaults over the past week.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces shoot down around 1,000 enemy UAVs per week. Russian forces have increased the number of reconnaissance and strike UAVs since autumn 2025.
Russian forces maintain a high offensive tempo on the southern front, have expanded their kill zone to 20 km, and are transferring assault units to southern Ukraine from other sections of the front, including two marine infantry divisions.
Change in the line of contact (LoC), directions of attacks and counterattacks:
There were 168 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk Directions, 13 combat engagements took place.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, the enemy assaulted Defense Forces unit positions 5 times near Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Starytsya, and Okhrymivka.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 6 times near Petropavlivka, Borivska Andriivka, Novoplatonivka, and Bohuslavka.
On the Sloviansk Direction, 12 enemy attempts to penetrate Ukrainian defense near Lyman, Dibrova, and Drobysheve, and to advance in the areas of Yampil, Rai-Oleksandrivka, Platonivka, and Riznykivka were stopped.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, the enemy carried out 17 attacks near Kostyantynivka, Pleshchiivka, Illinivka, Kleban-Byk, Sofiivka, and Ivanopillya, and toward Novopavlivka.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, 34 enemy assault actions were stopped in the areas of Toretske, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Hryshyne, Pokrovsk, Filiya, Udachne, and Molodetske, and toward Novooleksandrivka and Svitle.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, the enemy attacked 10 times in the areas of Oleksandrohrad, Stepove, Novohryhorivka, Krasnohirske, and Zlahoda.
On the Huliaypole Direction, 18 enemy attacks took place in the areas of Olenokostyantynivka, Zaliznychne, Huliaypole, Varvarivka, Zelene, Svyatopetrivka, and Myrne.
On the Prydniprovske Direction, Ukrainian units repelled an enemy attack near Bilohrudyi island.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army attacks near Ambarne and Khatnie, in the direction of Novovasylivka and Mytrofanivka.
The 121st and 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army attack Kupyansk from the north; the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army attacks in the directions of Lyman Pershyi–Kupyansk and Vilshana–Petropavlivka; elements of the 47th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army operate in the direction of Pishchane–Kurylivka; the division’s 153rd Tank Regiment operates in the southeast of Kurylivka.
The 254th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army operates near Drobysheve.
Units of the “Rubikon” Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies strike in Kostyantynivka; the 57th Separate SOF Company of the 8th Combined Arms Army strikes near Kurtivka; artillery of the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army strikes in Kostyantynivka; the 58th Separate SOF Battalion of the 51st Combined Arms Army operates on the Kostyantynivka Direction.
The 14th Separate SOF Brigade, the 77th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment of the enemy’s “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping, and the 656th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 29th Combined Arms Army strike near Velykomykhailivka.
The 305th Artillery Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army strikes west of Krynychne, Dolynka, and Vozdvyzhivka; the 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army strikes west of Kopani; the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army strikes near Hirke.
The Russian Ministry of Defense rapid response UAV detachment strikes Ukrainian tanks in Orikhiv.
Possible operation situation developments:
Two offensive operations should be expected starting from the end of April 2026 — the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and the Orikhiv-Zaporizhzhia operations. The disruption of the enemy’s summer offensive will lead to a prolonged loss of offensive capabilities, depletion of resources, and will provide a real chance to end the war. The Lyman, Sloviansk, and Kostyantynivka Directions are acquiring strategic significance, as the enemy’s military-political leadership is urgently requiring several convincing operational victories that can be presented as victory in the entire war.
The enemy “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping will continue to operate simultaneously along the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, and the Velykyi Burluk Direction and will attempt to seize as large an area as possible in Sumy Oblast and Kharkiv Oblast with the aim of subsequent political bargaining for their exchange for territories in Donetsk Oblast that the enemy will be unable to seize.
The “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping command will focus on Kupyansk and expanding the southern part of the bridgehead on the Oskil rather than on tactical operations in the border zone. The 121st and 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division will actively support the advance of 1st Tank Army forces from the north in its offensive on Kupyansk and may be reinforced by a number of elements of the 69th Motorized Rifle Division as part of such a decision.
In the Kupyansk area, forces of the 1st Tank Army (47th Tank Division, 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade), elements of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division, 4th Tank Division, and 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army will under any circumstances attempt to eliminate the Defense Forces bridgehead east of Kupyansk and seize the city in the near term. The 1st Tank Army delivers its main effort in the direction of Pishchane–Kurylivka, that is, in the 47th Tank Division’s offensive sector, which is attempting to break through to Kivsharivka, consolidate there, and reach Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi with its main forces. The 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and forward units of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army periodically attempt to break through to Zaoskillia from the direction of Lyman Pershyi and in the direction of Vilshana–Petropavlivka, restore their positions in the western part of Kupyansk by attacking along the Oskil River from their bridgehead on it, with the aim of pinning Ukrainian Defense Forces units against the river or forcing them to withdraw from the Kolisnykivka and Hlushkivka area northward, while simultaneously preventing them from organizing a stable defense in the Zaoskillia area and in Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi. The task of seizing Kupyansk is currently of considerable importance to Russian military and political leadership, yet the Kupyansk Direction is unlikely to become the main focus of the enemy’s offensive campaign.
On the Sloviansk Direction, the enemy’s 3rd Combined Arms Army will break through to the Mykolaivka–Nykanorivka line and, with part of its forces, to the Vasylivska Pustosh–Vasyutynske line, in order to reach the near approaches to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk respectively.
On the Kostyantynivka direction, the enemy “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping will attempt to seize the Druzhkivka–Kostyantynivka agglomeration by enveloping the flanks of Kostyantynivka, while simultaneously breaking through to the near approaches to Druzhkivka, after which it will assault Kostyantynivka and push Ukrainian Defense Forces out of the Druzhkivka area under the threat of encirclement. Enemy forces will advance toward the Malotaranivka–Semenivka–Bilokuzmynivka–Komyshuvakha area. Ukrainian Defense Forces will be forced to withdraw from the area between Kostyantynivka and the Kleban-Byk Reservoir under the threat of encirclement to the area north of road T0504, which will slow the assault actions of the enemy’s 3rd Army Corps in Kostyantynivka.
On the Dobropillya Direction, in the near term the enemy will attempt to break through to the northwest, striking with the adjacent flanks of the 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies and breaking through to the Novohryshyne–Dobropillya (village)–Chernihivka–Shevchenko area, i.e. reaching the near approaches to Dobropillya city from the south. In the operational zone of the “Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping, Russian forces can no longer simultaneously break through to Dobropillya from the south, southeast, and east, meaning they are already forced to accomplish this task sequentially. It is likely that the 2nd Combined Arms Army will first break through from the direction of Pokrovsk to the near approaches to Dobropillya from the south, after which the main effort of the “”Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping command will shift to the 51st Combined Arms Army’s sector, which will break through to the city from the east and southeast, following which the assault on Dobropillya will begin.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, units of the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps, operating on the left flank of the 29th Combined Arms Army, will be forced to withdraw to the Voskresenka–Maliivka line and attempt to hold it; the forces of the 29th Combined Arms Army as a whole will be forced to withdraw from the Vovcha river on their left flank.
On the Huliaypole Direction, the 5th Combined Arms Army will in the near term attempt to break through to the Verkhnya Tersa–Huliaypilske line, with its forward units already pushing in the direction of Verkhnya Tersa from Zaliznychne and Zelene and attacking along the Huliaypole–Orikhiv road toward Huliaypilske from Zaliznychne and from Dorozhnyanka. In addition, the army will attempt to restore its positions along the Khaychur river.
On the Orikhiv Direction, after several failed attempts to bring Mala Tokmachka and the surrounding area under control from the west, the 76th Air Assault Division will shift its main effort axis to the northeast — along the Bilohirya–Luhivske line — in an attempt to support the advance on the adjacent flank of the 5th and 35th Combined Arms Armies, which are operating southwest of Huliaypole and have advanced in the area of Myrne and north of Zahirne.
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 24.02.22 to 24.03.26
Personnel - almost 1,289 740 (+890);
Tanks – 11,800 (+6);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 242,71 (+3);
Artillery systems – 38,695 (+33);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,696 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,336 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 84,955 (+180);
Aircraft - 435 (0);
Helicopters – 350 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 193,892 (+1023);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 4,468 (0);
Boats/ships – 35 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the night of March 24, Russia launched a massive combined strike against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, employing 426 air attack weapons: 392 strike UAVs of various types (Shahed, “Gerbera,” “Italmas”), 18 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 7 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 5 Iskander-K cruise missiles, and 4 Kh-59/69/31 guided air missiles. Air defense forces neutralized 390 targets, including 365 drones and 25 missiles (all 18 Kh-101 missiles, all 5 Iskander-K missiles, and 2 Kh-59/69 missiles). As a result of the attack, hits by 6 missiles and 27 strike UAVs were recorded at 22 locations, along with falling debris at 10 locations; as of 09:00, the operation to repel the attack continued due to several enemy drones remaining in the airspace.
According to reports from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the State Emergency Service, as a result of the combined Russian strike on the night of March 24, damage was recorded in 11 regions of the country, four people were killed, and dozens were injured. The head of state confirmed that children are among the victims.
According to President of Moldova Maia Sandu, the overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure led to the interruption of Moldova’s key power connection with Europe. She called the Russian Federation’s actions a war crime and an attack on everyone, emphasizing that the situation in the republic’s power grid remains unstable, although alternative routes have already been engaged. Subsequently, media reported that Moldova introduced a state of emergency in the energy sector for 60 days and did not rule out the possibility of rolling blackouts due to the “difficult situation” in connection with the Russian Federation’s strikes on Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Energy, on the night of March 24, Russia carried out a massive combined attack on energy infrastructure in several regions of Ukraine, resulting in temporary power outages for consumers in Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts. In most regions, hourly blackout schedules for the population will be in effect from 16:00 to 22:00, and power capacity limits have been introduced for industry until the end of the day.
On the night of March 24, the Russian occupation army launched a combined strike on Zaporizhzhia; an enemy drone hit a high-rise building, resulting in one person killed and 12 people injured.
According to the head of the Poltava Oblast Military Administration Vitalii Diakivnych, on the night of March 24, the Russian occupation army attacked Poltava Oblast, resulting in two people killed and 11 injured. In the Poltava hromada, damage to a hotel and residential buildings was recorded, where fires broke out. Due to the shelling in Poltava Oblast, the movement of a number of trains is delayed.
According to the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, on March 24 at approximately 05:20, a Russian FPV drone made a direct hit on an electric train traveling the Slatyne—Kharkiv route. As a result of the strike on the carriage at Slatyne station, a 61-year-old passenger was killed. The train driver and his assistant suffered an acute stress reaction. During the night, in the village of Dobronadiivka in Kirovohrad Oblast, shelter was provided to approximately 700 passengers of the Kyiv-Dnipro train, which was threatened by a Russian drone attack.
According to the head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin, on the morning of March 24, Russian occupiers shelled the Central district of Kherson with MLRS, resulting in a man’s death. Due to a direct hit, at least two private houses and a garage were destroyed, and homes in an entire block were damaged.
According to the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Oleksandr Ganzha, on March 24, Russian occupiers attacked Dnipro, resulting in an enemy UAV hitting a 14-story building. Due to the strike on the high-rise building, walls, balconies, windows, and the technical floor were damaged, and fires broke out on the two upper floors. 13 people were injured, including an eighteen-month-old boy hospitalized in moderate condition. As of the time of the report, the attack on the city continued.
According to the head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration Oleh Hryhorov, on March 23 in the Pishchane starosta district of the Sumy hromada, an enemy UAV hit a civilian vehicle. As a result of the attack, a 13-year-old boy and his father were injured.
According to the head of the Communications Department of the Air Force Command Colonel Yurii Ihnat, on Tuesday, March 24, Russia carried out one of the most massive attacks on Ukraine, as after the night strike, the enemy continued aerial terror; in the period from 09:00 to 18:00 on March 24, according to preliminary data, the adversary employed 556 strike UAVs. Drones flew in columns from the north, south, and across the line of military contact, expanding the geography of strikes to Poltava, Kyiv, Vinnytsia oblasts and western regions from Khmelnytskyi to Lviv. As of 18:00, 541 enemy UAVs were shot down/suppressed by air defense, and 15 hits were recorded.
According to reports from Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi and the head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyi, on March 24 during the day, Russian UAVs attacked the region, resulting in a fire in a UNESCO heritage building in Lviv, as well as fires in residential buildings on Soborna Square, Brativ Rohatyntsiv and Chervonoi Kalyny streets. Due to falling drone debris, a private house caught fire in the village of Sernyky of the Bibrka hromada. In total, 13 people were injured, with one person in serious condition.
According to reports from the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Military Administration Svitlana Onyshchuk and Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv, during the day on March 24, a Russian UAV attacked the central part of Ivano-Frankivsk, resulting in two people killed. Four more people were injured, including a 6-year-old child. Due to the strike, the buildings of the city and regional maternity hospitals were damaged, as were approximately 10 residential buildings. The mayor noted that the target of the attack was one of the administrative buildings.
According to reports from the heads of the respective Oblast Military Administrations Serhii Tiurin, Vitalii Bunechko, and Nataliia Zabolotna, on March 24, the army of the Russian Federation attacked Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Vinnytsia oblasts. In Vinnytsia Oblast, one person was killed as a result of the strikes, and the number of injured reached 13 people; 9 private houses and two high-rise buildings were damaged. In the center of Zhytomyr, a two-story residential building was damaged, and a 12-year-old girl was injured. In the Shepetivka district of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, a man was hospitalized with a concussion and brain contusion; interruptions in the electricity supply were also recorded in the region.
According to the State Emergency Service, Russian troops launched a strike with nine air bombs on the private sector of Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast. As a result of the attack, a woman was killed, and another man was injured. 12 private houses, an outbuilding, and an infrastructure facility were damaged. Fires broke out at the impact sites.
According to the head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration Oleh Kiper, on the evening of March 23, the Russian army launched a massive UAV strike on Odesa Oblast, resulting in a drone hitting a bus stop in the Odesa district. Due to the attack, an 18-year-old girl and a 51-year-old man were injured, whose condition doctors assess as moderate. Damage to transport and energy infrastructure facilities in the region was also recorded.
According to reports from the National Police and the SBU, the detained 21-year-old suspected perpetrator of the double terrorist attack in Bucha on March 24 stated that he was recruited through a computer game. According to the individual, during the gameplay, he met an unknown person, likely a representative of the Russian Federation, who offered him to carry out bombings in Kyiv Oblast. The handler provided the perpetrator with step-by-step instructions for manufacturing improvised explosive devices and manuals for their remote activation.
According to the IAEA, the Zaporizhzhia NPP lost its connection to the main 750 kV “Dniprovska” power line and is currently being supplied via a backup line. The agency noted that it is starting a negotiation process between Ukraine and the Russian Federation to establish a truce necessary for conducting repair work and restoring a stable power supply to the plant.