Russia's war on Ukraine. 28.05.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces attacked in Kursk Oblast.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Bezsalivka.
On the Sumy direction, Russian forces carried out several local attacks, but unsuccessfully. They attempted to advance east of Vodolaha, attacked near Yunakivka and Volodymyrivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked in Vodolaha.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces advanced near Vovchansk, attacked near Vovchanski Khutory and Tykhe.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces advanced north of Kamyanka, northeast and northwest of Stroyivka, attacked near Dvorichna, Zapadne, Zahryzove, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Nadiia, Olkhivka and Hrekivka, in the direction of Dovhenke and Petropavlivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces advanced in Ridkodub, attacked in the direction of Novyi Myr, Karpivka, near Novomykhailivka, Yampolivka, Torske, and the Serebrianka Forest.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces attacked near Hryhorivka, Bilohorivka, and Verkhnyokamianske.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced northeast of Zaliznyanske. Russian forces attacked near Chasiv Yar, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Predtechyne, in the direction of Bila Hora, near Stupochky and Ozaryanivka.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced north of Toretsk, northwest of Zoria, north and east of Novoolenivka, attacked near Dyliivka, Druzhba, Nelipivka, Oleksandropil, Nova Poltavka, Shcherbynivka, Popiv Yar and Yablunivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces advanced to the western outskirts of Malynivka, attempted to advance north of the village and south of Myrne, attacked near Shevchenkove, Yelyzavetivka, Myroliubivka, Lysivka, Zvirove, Udachne.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces advanced in the direction of Novopavlivka, near Novomykolayivka, Muravka, Novoserhiyivka, Kotlyarivka, Troitske, Bohdanivka, Konstyantynopil, Bahatyr, Andriivka, attempted to advance north of Oleksiivka and Odradne.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Zelenyi Kut.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces advanced southeast of Komar, attacked near Vilne Pole, Komar, Shevchenkove, Zelenyi Hai, Novosilka, Novopil.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Perebudova, Novopil and Zelene Pole.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces attempt to enter Mala Tokmachka from the east and south, conduct positional fighting within the village. The enemy attacked near Novodanylivka, Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky and Novoandriivka.
General conclusion:
On the Sumy direction, the enemy advanced up to 1 km in the areas of Veselivka and Basivka, and in the direction of Bilovody.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops conduct more assaults in and near Vovchansk, near Lyptsi, Tykhe, and Vovchanski Khutory. Enemy attacks near the international border close to Stroyivka aim to expand the bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River to the north and northeast of Kupyansk.
On the Siversk direction, Russian troops prepare for a large-scale offensive, continuing to attack regularly.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy maintains high intensity of combat actions, transfers reserves, and maintains the priority of the Lyman direction. The enemy troops advancing in this direction retain 70 to 90 percent of their combat potential.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy advances toward the administrative border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts and advanced in the area of Troitske and north of Andriivka.
On the Huliaypole direction, most of the village of Bahatyr is under enemy control. Enemy drones complicate logistics for Ukrainian Defense Forces units holding positions in the village. The situation deteriorates.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 216 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, the aggressor attacked 9 times near Vovchansk, Zapadne, Stroyivka, Fiholivka and Dovhenke.
On the Kupyansk direction, 2 attacks by the invaders took place near Zahryzove.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 32 times, attempted to penetrate Ukrainian defense in the areas of the Serebriansk Forest, Nadiia, Novomykhailivka, Ridkodub, Kopanky, Katerynivka, Yampolivka, Zelena Dolyna and in the directions of Hrekivka, Hryhorivka, Karpivka, Novyi Myr.
On the Kramatorsk direction, 11 clashes were recorded near Chasiv Yar, Orikhovo-Vasylivka and in the direction of Bila Hora.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 19 attacks in the areas of Druzhba, Dyliivka, Kurdyumivka and Toretsk.
On the Pokrovsk direction, 65 enemy assault actions were repelled in the areas of Zoria, Myroliubivka, Malynivka, Lysivka, Zvirove, Udachne, Yelyzavetivka, Dachenske, Kotlyne, Horikhove, Novoserhiyivka, Novomykolayivka, Muravka, Kotlyarivka, Troitske, Bohdanivka, Andriivka and in the directions of Yablunivka and Oleksiivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy carried out 25 attacks in the areas of Konstyantynopil, Burlatske, Novopil, Zelene Pole and in the direction of Shevchenko.
On the Orikhiv direction, the occupiers attempted to advance 11 times in the areas of Mali Shcherbaky, Shcherbaky, Stepove and in the directions of Novoandriivka and Novodanylivka.
On the Kursk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to contain the enemy. The enemy carried out 11 air strikes. 32 assault actions were repelled.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Mediterranean Sea: 3 ships, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 8 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces launched drone strikes on targets in Zelenograd, Moscow Oblast, hitting the Elma-Zelenograd technopark, as well as in Podolsk, New Moscow, Ramenskoye, Bryansk Oblast, Tula, and Kaluga. In Dubna, they hit a drone production facility.
The airports Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky, Kaluga, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl are closed.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 92nd Motorized Rifle Regiment operates in Kursk Oblast. The 56th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division operates in Tetkino.
The 78th "Sever-Akhmat" Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army advances toward Chasiv Yar.
The 174th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 8th Combined Arms Army and the 346th Separate SOF Brigade operate near Toretsk. The 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Combined Arms Army operates near Dyliivka.
The 24th Separate Special Forces Brigade and the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army operate in the Pokrovsk direction. The 1427th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division of the 68th Army Corps operates near Malynivka.
The 5th Separate Tank Brigade, the 30th Artillery Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, and the 14th Separate SOF Brigade advance in the Shakhtarsk direction.
The 1455th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army advances near Orikhiv and Novodanylivka; the 70th and 71st Motorized Rifle Regiments of the division operate near Mala Tokmachka and Novodanylivka.
Possible operation situation developments:
The "Kursk" Group of Forces of the enemy’s "Sever (North)" Operational Grouping will attempt to breach toward the Yunakivka–Sudzha highway, which is currently under their fire control. A follow-on operational objective may involve securing the line of dominant heights in the vicinity of Yunakivka village and establishing a foothold in the border zone to the east, north, and northwest of Yunakivka—primarily along both banks of the Snagost River. Simultaneously, the enemy will seek to advance to the Oleksiivka–Yablunivka line and into the Yunakivka area.
On the Kharkiv direction, the enemy’s military command intends to deploy part of the “Kursk” Grouping of Forces to intensify the offensive operation in the north of Kharkiv Oblast.
On the Kupyansk direction, the command of the enemy's "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping will advance with forces of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division from the bridgehead near Nove toward the high ground near the village of Cherneshchyna, and with forces of the 4th Tank Division, which is advancing on converging directions Raihorodka–Cherneshchyna and Pershotravneve–Kopanky, will attempt to encircle a tactical group of the “Khortytsia” Operational-Strategic Grouping (OSG) defending along the Novoyehorivka–Hrekivka line.
On the Lyman direction, the forces of the "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping will advance towards the Karlivka – Shandryholove – Drobysheve line while simultaneously advancing near Torske to approach Lyman from the east. The 25th Combined Arms Army will advance in the Dibrova – Yampil direction and in the area of the Serebriansk Forest in order to break through the communication lines of the "Khortytsia" OSG.
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.
On the Toretsk direction, in the near future the enemy will attack Shcherbynivka and Novospaske simultaneously from the south, from the direction of Leonidivka, along both banks of the Kryvyi Torets River.
On the Kramatorsk direction, the command of the enemy’s “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping and the 3rd Army, in particular, may soon change the direction of their main strike and shift it to the north of Chasiv Yar, launching an offensive on both sides of the Bakhmut–Sloviansk road along the Orikhovo-Vasylivka–Minkivka and Blahodatne–Pryvillya directions, which would allow them to break through to the forward approaches of Sloviansk directly from the southeast and create a real threat to the “Siversk” Operational Tactical Grouping (OTG) of Ukrainian Defense Forces by executing a deep flanking maneuver on its right flank. If the enemy manages to achieve operational surprise in these directions and advance to tactical depth, the situation in the Kolodyazi–Hryhorivka sector on the Lyman direction could radically deteriorate for the “Khortytsia” OSG.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 28.05.25
Personnel - almost 983,890 (+1,050);
Tanks – 10,864 (+4);
Armored combat vehicles – 22,644 (+2);
Artillery systems – 28,355 (+18);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,397 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,171 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 49,959 (+52);
Aircraft - 372 (0);
Helicopters – 336 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 37,918 (+65);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,265 (0);
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published a report titled: “They are hunting us”: systematic drone attacks targeting civilians in Kherson,” which emphasizes the deliberate nature of Russian campaign to target civilians in Kherson and16 neighboring localities with explosives dropped from weaponized civilian UAVs. The report is found at the link: https://www.ohchr.org/.../coiukraine/a-hrc-59-crp2-en.pdf
On the night of May 28, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 5 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, a Kh-59/69 guided air missile, and 88 strike UAVs of the Shahed type along with various types of decoy drones. As of 09:00, air defense neutralized 71 enemy UAVs: 34 were shot down by firepower, and 37 were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare. Hits were recorded at 8 locations.
During the night of May 28, Russian forces launched massive drone strikes on Kharkiv Oblast — over 10 hits were recorded on residential areas and a civilian enterprise. One person was killed and seven others were injured. Occupiers targeted villages in the Chuhuiv and Kharkiv districts.
On the night before May 28, the Russian army attacked an industrial facility in Svitlovodsk, Kirovohrad Oblast, injuring three people. As a result of the enemy attack, 76 private homes and one nine-story apartment building were damaged.
On May 28 at 00:05, the enemy attacked the Halytsynove community in Mykolaiv Oblast with an FPV-type drone. A 7-year-old girl sustained minor injuries in the village of Lupareve. Two private houses and three cars were damaged. At 2 a.m., the occupiers also launched a missile strike on the city of Ochakiv. A recreational facility was damaged in the attack, but no casualties were reported.
Russian forces attacked railway infrastructure and rolling stock in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Sumy Oblasts during the night and morning. According to Ukrainian Railways, there were no casualties among employees or passengers in any of the incidents.
On May 28, around 15:20, the occupiers dropped, according to preliminary data, four guided aerial bombs on civilian infrastructure in the Esman community of the Shostka district, Sumy Oblast. As a result, a 74-year-old woman was killed in her home.
At 6 p.m., Russian troops attacked Tomina Balka in Kherson Oblast with a drone. A 26-year-old woman was injured.
During the day on May 28, Russian forces attacked the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. A woman was injured, and there is damage reported.
Eleven children were returned from Russian-occupied territory to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Among them is the daughter of an Azov defender. Her mother, Margarita, and brother spent three years in Russian captivity. In 2022, the woman and her son exited Azovstal together, not knowing each other's fate until their release in April 2025. During the exchange, Margarita accidentally met her son on the bus. Today, she was also reunited with her daughter.
Russia continues to hold Ukrainian prisoners in more than 300 penal colonies, without access for international organizations or human rights defenders.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, due to the deteriorating security situation, a mandatory evacuation has been announced for families with children from the village of Magdalynivka in the Komyshuvakha township territorial community.