Russia’s war on Ukraine. 25.12.25
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attempted to advance north of Hrabovske and attacked near Oleksiivka, Andriivka, and Yunakivka. The development of the enemy offensive from Hrabovske toward Krasnopillya will require significantly more forces than the Russian military command has currently deployed in this area.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck in the northern and central parts of Vilcha and counterattacked west of Lyman.
Russian forces fought on the outskirts of Prylipka, attempted to advance southwest of Lyman, attacked near Vovchanski Khutory, Vovchansk, and Starytsia, toward Izbytske, near Milove, Hryhorivka, and Dvorichanske, toward Khatnie and Kolodyazne.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces attacked near Kupyansk, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Stepova Novoselivka, Kruhlyakivka, Bohuslavka, and Kopanky. Enemy units on the western bank of the Oskil River in Kupyansk are in a difficult situation.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces attempted to advance north of Dibrova and attacked in and near Lyman, near Shandryholove, Yarova, Novoselivka, and Drobysheve, toward Oleksandrivka and Sosnove, and near Stavky, Kolodyazi, and Zarichne.
On the Sloviansk direction, Russian forces attempted to advance west of Siversk and south of Sviato-Pokrovske, attacked near Dronivka, toward Zakitne and Ozerne, near Pazeno, and established fire control over the road between Sloviansk and Rai-Oleksandrivka.
On the Kostyantynivka direction, Russian forces attempted to advance northeast of Stinka and attacked near and within Kostyantynivka, toward Virolyubivka, near Predtechyne, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Kleban-Byk, Pleshchiivka, Shcherbynivka, Yablunivka, Stepanivka, Rusyn Yar, and Sofiivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Nove Shakhove, toward Vilne, near Ivanivka and Zaporizhzhia, near and within Pokrovsk, near Rodynske, Chervonyi Lyman, Sukhetske, Zatyshok, near and within Myrnohrad, and near Kotlyne, Udachne, and Molodetske.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked and advanced in the western and northwestern parts of Pokrovsk, operated in the western, central, and southern parts of Rodynske, and held positions in Myrnohrad.
On the Oleksandrivka direction, Russian forces attacked near Novoserhiyivka, Horikhove, Dachne, Filiya, Sosnivka, and Oleksandrohrad.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked north of Hai.
On the Huliaypole Direction, Russian forces advanced in the southern part of Huliaypole, fought on the northern outskirts of the city, and reached the T0401 Pokrovske–Huliaypole highway in Varvarivka. The 36th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army fought for Zarichne on the western bank of the Khaychur River. The enemy attempted to advance east of Andriivka and south of Huliaypole and attacked near Huliaypole, Zlahoda, Solodke, Krasnohirske, Rybne, Pryvilne, Dobropillya, Andriivka, and Herasymivka, toward Bratske, Ternuvate, and Kosivtseve.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked east of Ternuvate and west of Huliaypole.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces attacked near Mala Tokmachka, Stepove, Stepnohirsk, Prymorske, and Lukyanivske.
On the Prydniprovske Direction, Russian forces attacked toward the Antonivskyi Bridge.
General conclusion:
On the Kupyansk Direction, Russian forces have lost a significant portion of their bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskil River. Units of the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Tank Army in Kupyansk are cut off from supplies. Since 11 December, Ukrainian Defense Forces have liberated 182.64 square kilometers of territory, restored their positions directly north and northwest of Kupyansk in Kindrashivka and Radkivka, on the outskirts of Myrove, hold positions north of Kupyansk in Dovhenke, southeast of Zakhidne, northeast of Kindrashivka, northeast of Holubivka, north and southeast of Petropavlivka, in Kucherivka, southeast of Kupyansk, northeast, east, and south of Pishchane, in Kurylivka, and in the area east and northwest of Kolisnykivka. The development of the Defense Forces’ tactical success in Myrove, Radkivka, and Sobolivka worsens the situation for the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping in this area.
The defeat of the “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping in Kupyansk indicates a shortage of manpower and combat equipment. This, in turn, complicates and delays the capture of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. The 121st and 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army did not capture Kupyansk and did not reach the Blahodativka–Nechvolodivka line, the 153rd Tank Regiment and the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 47th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army did not begin an assault on Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, the 423rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army failed to capture Korovyi Yar, Yarova, and Sosnove, and the 31st and 36th Motorized Rifle Regiments and the 19th Tank Regiment of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division of the 25th Combined Arms Army did not capture Lyman. Attempts by the enemy to advance simultaneously on multiple Directions prevent Russian forces from methodically breaking through Ukrainian defenses on a single priority Direction.
Ukrainian Defense Forces’ successes on the Kupyansk Direction will not allow Russian forces to exploit the advance of the 25th Combined Arms Army near Lyman and the 3rd Combined Arms Army near Siversk, thereby slowing movement toward Sloviansk. Enemy forces will need to force the Siverskyi Donets River toward Lyman in order to reach Sloviansk and to cover their flanks against a possible counterstrike by Ukrainian Defense Forces from the Izium area. Russian forces are also unable to develop an offensive toward Sloviansk from the Siversk Direction, as there are insufficient forces there to conduct a frontal assault on Sloviansk.
The redistribution of reserves from the Kupyansk Direction to other Directions and the defeat in Kupyansk demonstrate that the enemy cannot reliably hold positions in previously captured areas without additional reserves.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, the enemy is unable to control unmanned ground vehicles at long distances, which forces enemy servicemen to accompany UGVs on foot during logistics missions. In the Kramatorsk area, Russian forces continue to employ small-group infiltration tactics, exploiting weather conditions
Supporting operation:
In order to disrupt the enemy logistics system, a regimental-level logistics depot was struck in Dovzhansk, Luhansk Oblast.
Change in the line of contact (LoC), directions of attacks and counterattacks:
There were 151 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, two combat engagements occurred.
On the Southern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the enemy conducted 10 assaults on positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the areas of Prylipka and Vovchanski Khutory and Dvorichanske, and toward Izbytske, Hryhorivka, and Kolodyazne.
On the Kupyansk Direction, five enemy attacks occurred. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled enemy assault actions toward Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Zahryzove, and Kupyansk.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked seven times, attempting to advance in the areas of Novoselivka, Novoyehorivka, Stavky, Drobysheve, and Shandryholove, and toward Lyman.
On the Sloviansk direction, in the areas of Siversk and Dronivka and toward Riznykivka, the enemy attacked six times.
On the Kostyantynivka direction, the enemy carried out 16 attacks near Kostyantynivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, Sofiivka, Kleban-Byk, and Rusyn Yar, and toward Ivanopillya.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 36 enemy assault and offensive actions were halted near Ivanivka, Rodynske, Chervonyi Lyman, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, Sukhetske, Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk, Dachne, and Filiya, and toward Hryshyne and Nove Shakhove.
On the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked 13 times in the areas of Andriivka-Klevtsove, Zelenyi Hai, Oleksandrohrad, Vyshneve, Rybne, Zlahoda, Krasnohirske, and Pryvilne.
On the Huliaypole Direction, the enemy attacked 21 times near the settlements of Solodke and Huliaypole.
On the Orikhiv Direction, the enemy attempted to break through the defense toward Pavlivka but was repelled.
On the Prydniprovske Direction, three enemy attacks ended unsuccessfully for the occupiers.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 2nd Battalion of the 1443rd Motorized Rifle Regiment operates near Yunakivka.
The 245th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 47th Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army strikes Ukrainian forces in Baranivka, the 41st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 44th Army Corps operates near Verkhniy Saltiv, and the 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 58th Combined Arms Army operates on the Kharkiv Direction.
The 1486th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 6th Combined Arms Army and the 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army operate in Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, the 352nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps strikes Ukrainian positions near Pishchane, and the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army operates southwest of Zahryzove.
The 71st Motorized Rifle Division of the 14th Army Corps strikes Ukrainian forces northwest of Smerdiuche. The 13th Assault Detachment of the 1194th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army operates near Dyliivka. The 68th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army strikes Ukrainian forces near Rayske and Andriivka, and the 255th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the division operates near Mykolaypillya.
The 9th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army attacks in the central and southern parts of Rodynske; assault groups of the brigade, including the 286th Separate Rifle Battalion, operate in Rodynske. The 35th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 1452nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 41st Combined Arms Army operate in the northwestern part of Pokrovsk, the 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army operates in the northern part of Myrnohrad, and the 40th Separate Marine Brigade, the 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army, and the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps advance toward Dobropillya.
The 6th, 80th, and 239th Tank Regiments of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Combined Arms Army advance toward Novopavlivka.
The 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army strikes Ukrainian forces in Huliaypole, and the 16th NBC Defense Brigade of the Eastern Military District operates toward Vremivka.
Possible operation situation developments:
On the Southern Slobozhanske Direction, the enemy will attempt to complete the occupation of Vovchansk, completely push units of Ukrainian Defense Forces out of the southern part of the city, attempt to break through in the area of Tsehelne toward the Vovchansk–Staryi Saltiv road and the highway to Rubizhne with the forces of a tactical grouping formed from elements of the 6th Combined Arms Army, the 11th and the 44th Army Corps. All of this will significantly slow the advance of the troops toward Bilyi Kolodyaz and southward along the eastern bank of the Siverskyi Donets, in the direction of Verkhnya Pysarivka and Buhayivka.
On the Kupyansk Direction, the enemy will hold its bridgehead in the Dvorichna area north of Kupyansk and simultaneously will develop an offensive by the 47th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army east of the city. If the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation decides to restore the status quo in Kupyansk, the command of the “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping will require significant additional reserves; therefore, the redeployment of the 104th Air Assault Division from the Prydniprovske Direction to the Kupyansk Direction should be expected. The 6th Combined Arms Army will attempt to envelop the defense area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine around Kolodyazne and will continue attacking in the Milove–Ambarne and Krasne Pershe–Novovasylivka directions. Using its bridgehead on the Oskil River, the army’s forces will attempt to break through in the Dvorichna–Ridkodub direction. The development of the 6th Combined Arms Army’s offensive will be complicated by an operational disposition stretched from Vovchansk to Kupyansk, which will reduce operational troop densities, as well as by the active involvement of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division in the fighting in Kupyansk. An advance by the army toward Velykyi Burluk in the near term will be possible with minimal chances of operational success and only if the operational reserve of the enemy “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping is committed (likely forces of the 14th Army Corps) or if the 68th Motorized Rifle Division is regrouped from the Kupyansk direction to the Velyki Burluk direction.
The command of the enemy “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping in the near will term be forced to seek additional reserves for the occupation of Kupyansk and may reinforce its tactical group in Kupyansk by involving forces of the 1st Tank Army (the 4th and 47th Tank Divisions, the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division, and the 27th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade), but any regrouping to the Kupyansk area will weaken the 1st Tank Army on other directions.
On the Lyman Direction, the enemy, using forces of the 20th Combined Arms Army, seeks to fully take control of the Yarova–Novoselivka–Drobysheve–Pryshyb area and to block all lines of communication leading from Lyman to the northwest in the direction of Izium along the northern bank of the Siverskyi Donets. The enemy will be breaking through to the Siverskyi Donets in the area of Ozerne and will attempt to seize the village of Dibrova in order to create a favorable starting position for launching an assault on Lyman from the south and southeast. In addition, through actions on this Direction, the enemy seeks to support the 3rd Combined Arms Army, which is advancing toward Sloviansk along the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets. The enemy will continue active attacks in the southern part of the offensive zone of the 25th Combined Arms Army in order to develop success to the east and southeast of Lyman and to reach and secure positions along the Dibrova–Ozerne line. The enemy will attempt to penetrate as deeply as possible into the eastern and southeastern parts of Lyman using small infantry groups. By maintaining control of a bridgehead on the Siverskyi Donets in this area, Ukrainian Defense Forces will make it much more challenging for the enemy to launch an offensive towards Sloviansk from this direction. The troops of the 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies of the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping will continue offensive actions north and east of Lyman in order to isolate the area of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine around the city from the northwest and north and to reach the Siverskyi Donets River south of the city in the Raihorodka–Zakitne sector. The enemy’s main tactical tasks are to capture Zakitne and to consolidate on the dominant heights.
On the Sloviansk Direction, the 3rd Combined Arms Army will attempt to break through from the Dronivka–Siversk line to the Zakytne–Riznykivka–Kalenyky–Kryva Luka area, which significantly simplifies the task of the adjacent 25th Combined Arms Army, which is advancing toward Lyman north of the Siverskyi Donets. The main task of the 3rd Combined Arms Army is to advance to maximum depth along the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets in the western direction, which will allow the command of the “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping not only to concentrate the main forces of the 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies on the assault on Lyman without diverting them to block the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces along the river, but also to ensure maneuver of forces in the zones of the 3rd, 20th, and 25th Combined Arms Armies across the Siverskyi Donets outside the fire influence of Ukrainian Defense Forces. In operational terms, the enemy offensive toward Sloviansk will to some extent develop frontally and currently has the best chances of success on both the Lyman and Siversk Directions, namely reaching the near approaches to Sloviansk. Ukrainian Defense Forces will address not so much the problem of holding Siversk as seeking opportunities to slow the enemy advance along the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River toward Raihorodka and Sloviansk.
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–Yablunivka line. The enemy’s naval infantry grouping operating on the adjacent flank of the 8th and 51st Combined Arms Armies will attempt to break through from the southwest to the near approaches of Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka, bypassing them from the west. The enemy’s 3rd Army Corps and the formations of the 8th Combined Arms Army will attempt to break through toward Kostyantynivka, reach the T0504 road, and ease their advance toward Kostyantynivka through Predtechyne and Stupochky. In the area southeast of Kostyantynivka, the enemy will attempt to create an informational pretext regarding a “successful start of the battle for the capture of Kostyantynivka” and will try to isolate the units of Ukrainian Defense Forces’ 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the 11th Army Corps, which continue to successfully defend the Chasiv Yar area, from the defense area in Kostyantynivka. The enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping will attempt break through to the Novodmytrivka–Chervone line in an attempt to completely collapse Ukrainian defenses in the Chasiv Yar area by applying pressure from the south.
On the Oleksandrivka and Huliaypole Directions, the enemy’s “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping will attempt to envelop the Huliaypole defensive area of Ukrainian Defense Forces from the north, block its main lines of communication, reach the Huliaypole–Pokrovske road on the Dobropillya–Varvarivka section, reach the Khaychur River, force it in the Danylivka–Dobropillya area, and encircle Huliaypole from the northwest. Forces of the 36th Combined Arms Army and elements of the right flank of the 5th Combined Arms Army will attempt to break through toward Pokrovske from the southeast. Through active offensive actions in the Danylivka area, the enemy will attempt to isolate the 102nd Territorial Defense Brigade of Ukrainian Defense Forces in Huliaypole from the main forces in the Pokrovske–Oleksandrivka area.
On the Orikhiv Direction, the enemy is capable of creating an operational breakthrough toward Novomykolayivka to bypass the Orikhiv defensive area from the north. Russian military command in the Southwestern theater of military operations will attempt to collapse the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine southeast of Zaporizhzhia and break through to its near approaches, to be achieved by simultaneous advances toward Zaporizhzhia both from the east, from the Donetsk side along the Donetsk–Zaporizhzhia highway, and from the south. The enemy’s “Dnepr” Operational Grouping will attempt to break through from the Plavni–Kamianske line along the left bank of the Dnipro River toward Stepnohirsk, and from the Stepove–Mali Shcherbaky line in the northern direction with the aim of reaching the near approaches to the city of Zaporizhzhia.
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 25.12.25
Personnel - almost 1,201 230 (+860);
Tanks – 11,456 (+7);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 23,801 (+5);
Artillery systems – 35,435 (+59);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,579 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,263 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 71,274 (+149);
Aircraft - 434 (0);
Helicopters – 347 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 94,797 (+600);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 4,107 (+34);
Boats/ships – 30 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
On the night of 25 December, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 131 strike UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, and other types. According to the Air Force, as of 08:30 Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 106 enemy drones in the north, south, and east of the country. At the same time, 22 strike UAV hits were recorded at 15 locations, and the enemy drone attack continued.
On Christmas night, Russian forces continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector, which led to power outages for consumers in several regions. According to the Ministry of Energy, subscribers in Chernihiv Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Kharkiv Oblast were left without electricity. Power outages were also recorded in Odesa Oblast, but they were caused by previous shelling.
On the night of 25 December, Russian forces struck port and industrial infrastructure in Odesa Oblast, killing one person and injuring two others. As a result of the attack, administrative, production, and warehouse facilities were damaged, and fires broke out at several sites, which were extinguished by rescuers. To prevent overloading damaged equipment, forced emergency power outages were introduced in Odesa.
As a result of a Russian UAV strike on an evacuation mission in Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and two others were injured. According to the head of the Kostyantynivka Military Administration, Serhii Horbunov, an enemy FPV drone deliberately attacked volunteers while they were evacuating people from dangerous areas. A vehicle of the public organization Kramatorsk Volunteer Association, which carried out daily evacuations, came under fire.
On the night of 24 to 25 December, Kernel assets in Odesa Oblast came under attack by the Russian Federation. The Illichivsk Oil and Fat Combine in the city of Chornomorsk was struck. As a result of a UAV hit, a tank containing vegetable oil was damaged, causing a large-scale fire and a product spill. The fire spread across the enterprise’s production facilities, and UAV debris damaged part of the production block, creating a threat to infrastructure and personnel.
During the day on 25 December, enemy drones attacked Chernihiv; one Russian UAV hit a five-story residential building, killing one person, and by the evening the number of injured had risen to 10, including three children. A critical infrastructure facility was also attacked.
On 25 December, Russian forces carried out four guided aerial bomb strikes against Zaporizhzhia district. According to the head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, four people were injured as a result of the attack, and private houses were damaged.
At noon on Christmas Day, Russian forces conducted a massive shelling of central Kherson, striking a market. As a result of numerous hits, trading stalls were destroyed, and a 47-year-old market worker who was at his workplace was killed. Rescuers extinguished fires at the site of the tragedy despite the threat of repeat attacks by the occupiers. As a result of a repeated shelling of the city center at 16:50, three people were injured.
Russian forces attacked the territory of an industrial enterprise in Zaporizhzhia with UAVs. A heavy truck was damaged. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
On 24 December, as a result of Russian UAV attacks in Chernihiv Oblast, two people were killed and two others were injured. In a village of the Snovsk community, an enemy FPV drone hit an energy facility. In addition to the energy sector, industrial facilities in the region also came under attack by the occupiers.