Russia's war on Ukraine. 29.03.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, the 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 44th Army Corps advanced to the northern outskirts of Guevo. Russian forces engaged in battles for Gogolevka and attacked near Oleshnia, Volodymyrivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding positions in the south of Guevo, in Hornal, and Oleshnia.
On the Belgorod direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced on the eastern outskirts of Popovka and attacked near Demydivka and Grafovka.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces launched an offensive near Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces are fighting for Chervone Pershe, attempting to advance from Topoli to the Russian bridgehead near Dvorichna, and attacking near Fiholivka, Petropavlivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Pishchane, Zahryzove, Bohuslavka, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Nadiia, and Hrekivka.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces fight for Terny, attempt to advance towards the outskirts of Katerynivka, near Nove, north of Novolyubivka and Kolodyazi, towards Zelena Dolyna, and attacking near Yampolivka, Myrne, Novomykhailivka, Olhivka, Torske, Zarichne, the Serebriansk Forest, and in the direction of Dronivka.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces launched offensives near Hryhorivka, Bilohorivka, Verkhnyokamianske, and Ivano-Dariivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces advanced east of Stupochky and attacked near Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka, Ozaryanivka, Bila Hora, and in the direction of Predtechyne.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced along Dargomyzhsky Street in Toretsk and at the "Tsentralna" mine, and launched offensives near Dyliivka, Krymske, Shcherbynivka, and Leonidivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces attacked east of Kotlyarivka, southeast of Bohdanivka, near Tarasivka, in the direction of Malynivka, and near Yelyzavetivka, Vodyane Druhe, Kalynove, Sukhyi Yar, Lysivka, Kotlyne, Novoserhiyivka, Udachne, Novooleksandrivka, Uspenivka, and Preobrazhenka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Kotlyne and Kotlyarivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces advanced north of Andriivka, attempted to move north of Rozlyv, near Bahatyr, and along the T0518 Rozdolne–Bahatyr road. They also attacked near Konstyantynopil and Oleksiivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Konstyantynopil.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces attempted to advance in Vilne Pole, near Rozdolne, Burlatske, Vesele, and Dniproenerhiya, and attacked in the direction of Odradne, near Skudne, towards Komar, and near Pryvilne and Novosilka.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces made slight advances north of Zherebyanky and attacked near Kamianske, Lobkove, Mali Shcherbaky, Shcherbaky, and Nesteryanka.
General conclusion:
Strikes by Ukrainian Defense Forces on Russian energy infrastructure between September 1, 2024, and February 12, 2025, have caused $658 million in damages. Sixty-seven percent of the 67 strikes between September 2024 and mid-February 2025 were successful. Ukrainian Defense Forces have struck Russian oil and gas extraction facilities at least 27 times in this period, destroying 50 oil storage tanks and damaging another 47.
Russian forces increase the intensity of their attacks on the Pokrovsk direction and attempt to reach the same level of intensity as in January 2025. The enemy has changed the direction of its main strike and is trying to advance east of Pokrovsk toward the T0504 Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka highway.
Russian forces have significantly increased their attacks using small infantry groups on the Orikhiv and Zaporizhzhia directions over the past few days.
Russian forces attempt to establish a bridgehead on the islands in the Dnipro Delta.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 157 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, four enemy assault actions occurred near Vovchansk and Kamyanka.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attempted three times to dislodge Ukrainian Defense Forces from their positions near Zahryzove and towards Bohuslavka.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy launched 16 attacks, attempting to advance near Nadiia, Yampolivka, and in the directions of Hrekivka, Nove, Novomykhailivka, and Zelena Dolyna.
On the Siversk direction, an enemy attack near Ivano-Dariivka was successfully repelled.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces halted four enemy attempts to advance near Chasiv Yar and in the directions of Bila Hora and Predtechyne.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy attempted 20 times to break through Ukrainian defenses, near Toretsk and in the directions of Dyliivka and Shcherbynivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy conducts intense attacks against Ukrainian Defense Forces. Throughout the day, the aggressor carried out 72 assault and offensive actions, displaying high activity in the areas of Panteleymonivka, Oleksandropil, Tarasivka, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Kotlyne, Novoserhiyivka, Udachne, Novooleksandrivka, Kotlyarivka, Uspenivka, Preobrazhenka, Andriivka, and in the direction of Kalynove.
On the Novopavlivka direction, 15 enemy attacks were stopped in the areas of Konstyantynopil, Rozlyv, and Dniproenerhiya.
On the Huliaypole direction, the enemy carried out four assault actions near Pryvilne. Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled all enemy attacks. Aerial strikes targeted Novopil, Novodarivka, Huliaypole, and Zaliznychne.
On the Orikhiv direction, eight combat engagements took place, with the enemy attempting to advance towards Shcherbaky, Mali Shcherbaky, Mala Tokmachka, Stepove, Kamianske, and north of Nesteryanka. Aerial strikes targeted Kamianske and Novoandriivka.
On the Prydniprovskyi direction, two combat engagements occurred. The enemy carried out an aerial strike in the area of Kozatske.
Fourteen combat engagements took place on the Kursk direction. The enemy launched 22 airstrikes.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Black Sea: 2 ships, including 2 cruise missile carriers, with a total salvo of 4 missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 4 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Pogar border checkpoint in the area of Sluchovsk, Bryansk Oblast, Russia, destroying military infrastructure along with communication and electronic warfare equipment, the video surveillance system, and other technical means. The Transmash plant in Luhansk was also attacked.
On March 27, in the occupied Crimea Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the 48Ya6-K1 Podlet radar, the RM-10M1E Mys mobile coastal defense radar, the 9S32 Imbir radar, the ST-68 radar, the 39N6 Kasta-2E2 radar, and the tugboat Fedor Uryupin.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army operates near Tarasivka.
The 691st Independent Howitzer Artillery Battalion and the 1461st Motorized Rifle Regiment of Territorial Troops of the 35th Combined Arms Army operate near Vesele.
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.
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.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 29.03.25
Personnel - almost 912,490 (+1,740);
Tanks – 10,478 (+23);
Armored combat vehicles – 21,796 (+34);
Artillery systems – 25,451 (+64);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,345 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,122 (+3);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 42,398 (+118);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 335 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 31,234 (+164);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,121 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
On the night of March 29, the enemy attacked Ukrainian oblasts with 172 UAVs—94 were shot down, while 69 were classified as "locationally lost." As a result of the Russian attack, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy Oblasts were affected.
Late in the evening of March 28, the Russian army attacked Dnipro with drones. A large fire broke out in a restaurant complex. An apartment building and private houses also caught fire. Reports confirm 4 dead and 25 injured. Nine remain hospitalized, two in critical condition.
In Kharkiv Oblast, several fires broke out due to Russian drone attacks. In the village of Mospanove, a 69-year-old man and an 89-year-old woman were injured when a UAV crashed. In Borova, a warehouse caught fire due to shelling, damaging tractors, an excavator, and trucks.
On the morning of March 29, Russian forces attacked Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with a ballistic missile. A fire broke out at the impact site, and infrastructure was damaged. Nine people were injured, three of whom were hospitalized. Doctors assess all cases as moderate in severity.
In Slatyne, Kharkiv Oblast, the Russian army used guided aerial bombs. A 12-year-old child experienced an acute stress reaction.
On March 29, 2025, at around 11:00 AM, the occupiers shelled the Velykopysarivka community in Okhtyrka District, Sumy Oblast, from Russian territory using artillery. A 63-year-old farm worker was killed in the attack.
Over the past day, Russian forces shelled 37 towns and villages in Kherson Oblast, injuring nine people.
During the past day, the occupiers launched 484 strikes on 13 towns and villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Ukraine has recovered five more Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories and Russia. Among those rescued is a 10-year-old boy who remained in occupation for a long time with his sick grandmother. When the war began, his mother was in another city. Until today, she had repeatedly risked everything trying to retrieve her son, but without success.
Another 246 people were evacuated from Donetsk Oblast, including 86 children.