Russia's war on Ukraine. 26.08.25
Operational situation
On the Northern Slobozhansky direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced near Bezsalivka and counterattacked in the direction of Andriivka – Oleksiivka.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, Russian troops tried to advance west of Synelnykove, near Tykhe, Khatnie, and attacked near Hlyboke, Vovchansk, and Ambarne.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked on the southern bank of the Vovcha River in Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops advanced in the northern part of Kupyansk, attacked near Zakhidne, Holubivka, Synkivka, Kamyanka, Kolisnykivka, Borivska Andriivka, Vyshneve, Zahryzove, Zelenyi Hay, Hrekivka, and in the direction of Kutkivka, Kolodyazne, and Dvorichanske.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Hrekivka.
On the Lyman direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces liberated Novomykhailivka and Novyi Myr.
Russian troops tried to advance west of Torske and in the Serebriansk forest area, attacked near Shandryholove, Serednie, Ridkodub, Karpivka, Zelena Dolyna, Novyi Myr, Novomykhailivka, Ivanivka, Kolodyazi, and in the direction of Novoselivka, Yampil.
On the Siversk direction, Russian troops advanced approximately 2.5 km south of Serebrianka, attacked in the direction of Siversk, Dronivka, near Vyimka, Fedorivka, and Pereyizne.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian troops tried to advance east of Virolyubivka, attacked near Chasiv Yar, Mayske, and Stupochky.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian troops advanced northeast of Bila Hora, on the southern outskirts of Oleksandro-Shultyne, attacked near Toretsk, Dyliivka, Rusyn Yar, and Shcherbynivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced south of Pokrovsk, reached the northern outskirts of Leontovychi and advanced northeast of the village, continue to hold Novoekonomichne and Myrolyubivka, and pushed Russian troops out of the area north of Rodynske along the railway.
Russian troops continued fighting for Udachne, attacked near Pokrovsk, Rodynske, Zapovidne, Mayak, Zatyshok, Nove Shakhove, Shakhove, Sukhetske, Krasnyi Lyman, Myrolyubivka, Novoekonomichne, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Sukhyi Yar, Lysivka, Chunyshyne, Troyanda, Shevchenkove, Leontovychi, Zvirove, Kotlyne, consolidated their positions on the dam south of Myrolyubivka; their assault groups sometimes enter the village, but cannot consolidate their positions there. Small enemy groups operate in Rodynske and Krasnyi Lyman but also cannot consolidate their positions.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the 57th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army captured Zaporizke, Russian troops captured Yalta, advanced to the center of Filiya, the center of Vorone, attacked Novopavlivka, near Novomykolayivka, Horikhove, Novoukrainka, Dachne, Novokhatske, Zelenyi Hay, Andriivka-Klevtsove, Oleksandrohrad, Voskresenka, Shevchenkove, Komyshuvakha, Vilne Pole, Maliivka, Novoheorhiivka, and in the direction of Novomykolayivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian troops attacked near Zelene Pole, Temyrivka, Olhivske, in the direction of Zaliznychne.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian troops advanced along the Prydniprovska railway south of Prymorske, attacked in the direction of Orikhove, Novodanylivka, Prymorske, near Stepnohirsk, Plavni, and Kamianske.
General conclusion:
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces continue to employ small infantry units for attacks while modifying their resupply methods by utilizing unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian troops continue to attack with small assault groups of 2-10 soldiers and have concentrated a large number of various weapons. Both sides have parity in UAVs, which allows Ukrainian troops to neutralize the advantages of Russian troops in other weapons.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 174 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 5 attacks by the occupiers.
On the Southern Slobozhansky direction, the enemy attacked the positions of the Ukrainian defenders 12 times near Hlyboke, Vovchansk, Ambarne, and in the direction of Kutkivka and Kolodyazne.
On the Kupyansk direction, 8 combat engagements took place yesterday. The enemy's assault actions in the areas of Synkivka, Holubivka, Kolisnykivka, Lozova, and Zahryzove were stopped.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 28 times, trying to wedge into Ukrainian defense near Novomykhailivka, Hrekivka, Kolodyazi, Novoselivka, Zelena Dolyna, and in the direction of Yampil and Serebrianka.
On the Siversk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 5 offensive actions of the invaders in the areas of Fedorivka, Hryhorivka, and in the direction of Serebrianka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 13 combat engagements were recorded; the occupier tried to advance in the areas of Chasiv Yar, Bila Hora, and in the direction of Stupochky and Predtechyne.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 6 attacks in the areas of Dyliivka, Toretsk, Rusyn Yar, and Oleksandro-Kalynove.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 43 assault actions of the aggressor were stopped in the areas of Nykanorivka, Mayak, Myrolyubivka, Novoekonomichne, Rodynske, Hrodivka, Sukhyi Yar, Lysivka, Chunyshyne, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolayivka, Horikhove, and Dachne.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy carried out 19 attacks in the areas of Yalta, Zelenyi Hay, Voskresenka, Shevchenko, and Komyshuvakha.
On the Huliaypole direction, a Russian attack took place in the area of Malynivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, the occupiers tried to advance twice in the area of Plavni and in the direction of Pavlivka.
On the Prydniprovske direction, the aggressor's troops made three futile attempts to advance.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces launched drone strikes on targets in Kingiseppsky distric of Leningrad Oblast, Millerovsky, Chertkovsky, Tarasovsky, Kasharsky, Neklinovsky district, in the village of Novobessergenevka near Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Makiivka, and Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast.
The airports of Kazan, Pskov, and Nizhny Novgorod were closed.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 204th SOF Regiment "Akhmat" operates near Ambarne.
The 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army operates near Hrekivka.
The 31st and 37th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division of the 25th Combined Arms Army operate in Zarichne, parts of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army and the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army are engaged near Kolodyaz and south of Karpivka.
The 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army advances near Yablunivka, the 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the division advances in the direction of Kostyantynivka, and the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the army is active near Shcherbynivka and Katerynivka.
The 1st and 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 51st Combined Arms Army and the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps attack in the directions of Rodynske and Krasnyi Lyman, and the 5th and 9th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the army are active near Novoekonomichne and Myrolyubivka.
The 80th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Combined Arms Army fights near Filiya. The 30th Separate SOF Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army strikes Ukrainian positions near Pidhavrylivka, Novoselivka.
The 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army strikes Ukrainian positions in the eastern part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast with "Molniya-2" UAVs. The deployment of the 76th Air Assault Division is expected.
The 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army attacks in the direction of Orikhiv.
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 completely capture the Serebriansk Forest as far as the Chorny Zherebets River leading to the withdrawal of troops of the 3rd Army Corps across the river in the direction of Yampil.
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 51st Combined Arms Army will continue the envelopment of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration from the north and northeast and will try to advance as deeply as possible toward Dobropillya, which will sharply worsen the prospects of defense not only for Dobropillya and Pokrovsk, but also for Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka. Subsequently, the 2nd Combined Arms Army will begin the assault on 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 26.08.25
Personnel - almost 1,077 830 (+890);
Tanks – 11,134 (+4);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 23,178 (+3);
Artillery systems – 31,979 (+33);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,472 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,211 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 59,769 (+97);
Aircraft - 422 (0);
Helicopters – 340 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 53,442 (+95);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 3,598 (0);
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
On the night of August 26, Russian troops carried out an attack with 59 Shahed strike drones and mock drones of various types. According to the Air Force, as of 9:00 a.m., the Ukrainian air defense shot down and suppressed 47 enemy vehicles in the north and east of the country. At the same time, 12 drones hit 9 locations.
During the week from August 18 to 24, Russian troops carried out 1,964 drone attacks on Kherson Oblast, of which Ukrainian defenders destroyed or suppressed 1,522 (77%). The enemy also carried out 448 ttacks and 8 airstrikes, with civilians and critical infrastructure suffering the most; in particular, in the Kherson community, 612 FPV drone attacks were recorded, of which 439 were neutralized.
The authorities of Kherson Oblast called on residents to avoid traveling on the Kherson – Mykolaiv highway due to active Russian drone attacks on civilian transport. On August 25–26, the enemy carried out several strikes along the M-14 highway; in particular, on the morning of August 26 at about 7:00 a.m., a car of medical workers was attacked between the villages of Klapaya and Chornobaivka, as a result of which a 47-year-old medical director and a 38-year-old doctor were injured.
On the night of August 26, Russian troops carried out a series of drone attacks on the communities of Sumy Oblast: in the Shostka community after 1:00 a.m., a part of the consumers were de-energized and a residential building was damaged due to a drone strike; at about 3:00 a.m. the enemy attacked the Sumy and Bezdrytska communities, where a fire broke out as a result of hits and residential and commercial buildings were damaged, and two female residents were injured—one of them was hospitalized. In the Putyvl community, non-residential premises and equipment were damaged.
On the morning of August 26, Russian troops again attacked the civilian infrastructure of the Shostka community in Sumy Oblast: three men aged 35, 44, and 48 were wounded and all were hospitalized, and as a result of the shelling, energy facilities were damaged—a part of the raion was left without electricity, critical infrastructure was connected to a backup power supply, and communication interruptions were also recorded.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., the Russian army attacked Mykilske in Kherson Oblast with artillery. As a result of the enemy shelling, a 55-year-old woman was injured. In the Dnipro district of Kherson, the Russian military attacked a civilian with a drone at noon, as a result of which he was also injured.
Russian troops attacked Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, twice with FPV strike drones: on the morning of August 26, at about 9:30 a.m., a drone wounded a male civilian and damaged a garbage truck that was servicing residential areas, and at about 12:00 p.m., as a result of a new strike, a woman was killed and another man was moderately wounded.
In the Vovchansk community of Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian drone hit a car that was carrying humanitarian aid to a frontline settlement.
On the afternoon of August 26, the Russian army attacked Novotroitske, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with a drone: a 25-year-old female civilian was wounded, a house was destroyed, and a fire broke out.
On the afternoon of August 26, a Russian attack de-energized mines in the Dobropillya community: 148 miners were blocked underground.
In Kherson, Russian troops remotely scattered "petal" type anti-personnel mines on one of the streets of the Dnipro distric, the National Police reported, noting that these inconspicuous munitions are extremely dangerous for local residents.
Throughout the day, the Russian army attacked the Nikopol and Synelnykivskyi districts of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast almost 40 times with drones, shelled them with artillery, and dropped KABs; a 65-year-old woman was injured.