Ukrainian defense lines

Ukraine builds northern defense line to block Russian push toward Sumy

Ukraine is building a continuous defense line from Sumy to the Kyiv Reservoir to block Russian operations and prevent Moscow from creating a so-called “buffer zone,” Brig. Gen. Vasyl Syrotenko, head of the engineering troops of the Support Forces Command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said in a video comment to Ukrinform.

28 April, 02:32 PM

Kupyansk is key for the entire left-bank defense

The fall of Kupyansk would have endangered all Ukrainian troops on the left bank of the Oskil River, former AFU Commander-in-Chief Viktor Muzhenko said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Dec. 24.

25 December 2025, 07:03 PM

Moscow declares Siversk captured to sell its 'sweeping advances' narrative

Russia’s claim to have captured Siversk isn’t backed by evidence and is part of a wider Kremlin effort to sell the illusion of a collapsing Ukrainian front, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Dec. 11.

12 December 2025, 12:39 PM

Russians attempt to seep into Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces hold the line

Russian forces are trying to infiltrate the northern part of the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, using fog as cover, East Operation Task Force reported on Dec. 9.

9 December 2025, 01:27 PM

Ukraine blocks Russian push across railway in Pokrovsk, clears northern Myrnohrad

Ukrainian defense continues to hold designated lines in the northern part of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, and positions south of the railway, crucial for future liberation operations, AFU 7th Rapid Response Corps reported on Nov. 21.

21 November 2025, 11:28 AM

Russian troops edge forward along Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya axes

Russian forces have captured Katerynivka and Novomykolaivka and advanced near other settlements in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, DeepState monitoring project reported on Nov. 11.

11 November 2025, 02:33 PM

Russia may form a 'sub-pocket' in Pokrovsk to squeeze Ukrainian supply routes

The situation in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast remains difficult, as Ukrainian defenders work to hold the flanks of the pocket while Russian forces continue to advance, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Nov. 10.

11 November 2025, 11:44 AM

Russian forces stall amid troop shortages and logistics failures — ISW

Russia is struggling with logistics and troop shortages, failing to advance in Sumy and stalling near Pokrovsk and the Donetsk-Dnipropetrovsk axis, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Sept. 28.

29 September 2025, 10:45 AM

Russia struggles to sustain its war effort, lacks power for major breakthrough - NATO

Russia currently lacks the military capacity to execute a major breakthrough in Ukraine, Commander of NATO's Joint Forces in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, said at World Economic Forum in Davos, Voice of America wrote on Jan. 21.

22 January 2025, 02:50 PM

Kharkiv Oblast's Kupyansk faces mounting pressure as Russian attacks intensify

The front line is now just two kilometers from the city of Kupyansk, Kharkiv Oblast, as Russian forces continue assault operations in an attempt to reach the downtown, administration head Andrii Besedin said on the air of National telethon on Jan. 9.

9 January 2025, 12:52 PM

Ukrainian defense forces crush Russian assaults near Kupyansk, Kharkiv Oblast

Drone operators from Achilles battalion (92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade), alongside the National Guard Brigade and the 77th Separate Airborne Brigade, successfully repelled two Russian assaults in the Kupyansk sector, military wrote on Jan. 5.

6 January 2025, 08:50 AM

Toretsk under fire: Russian forces push relentlessly, Ukrainian defenders hold frontline

Russian army continue assault operations near the city of Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, the threat of the city being seized persists, Anastasia Bobovnikova, Luhansk Operational-Tactical Grouping spokesperson, said at the National Television on Dec. 17.

17 December 2024, 12:10 PM

Ukrainian Forces may soon withdraw from Selydove as Russian advances continue — ISW

Russian forces have made significant tactical gains in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast (Pokrovsk direction), which may soon force Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the city, Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Oct. 23.

24 October 2024, 11:28 AM

Russian forces breach Ukrainian defense in Chasiv Yar, but situation controlled

Russian forces have managed to breach Ukrainian defenses in the area of Chasiv Yar, but the situation remains under control and the town has not been lost, Ivan Petrychak of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade said on national television on Oct. 22.

22 October 2024, 05:58 PM

Ukrainian marines improve tactical positions on Dnipro’s left bank, situation remains difficult

Ukrainian marines holding a bridgehead on the left bank of Kherson Oblast recently had some success in area of Krynky, said Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for Southern Defense Forces on a national TV on May 25.

25 May 2024, 05:08 PM

Ukrainian military officer warns of Russian attempts to break defense in Chasiv Yar

The Russian troops are intensifying their efforts to breach Ukrainian defenses in Chasiv Yar, a National Guard officer, Dmytro Kozhubenko, said on national television on May 23.

23 May 2024, 03:26 PM

Russian forces occupy streets in Vovchansk amid ongoing battles - Ukrainian DM

Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed that Russian infantry groups have entered Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast and are trying to gain a foothold in the northern part of the city, Defense Ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin said on national TV on May 15.

15 May 2024, 03:28 PM

Russian troops push through border, engage in Vovchansk streets — Ukrainian commander

Street clashes have erupted in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, where the border has remained unfortified and unmined, even two years after its liberation, Denys Yaroslavskyi, the commander of a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit, said on Facebook on May 12.

12 May 2024, 05:25 PM

Military researcher on nature and implications of Russia’s ‘dangerous flanking attack’ in Kharkiv Oblast

The Russian offensive in Kharkiv oblast, which started earlier than planned, is a dangerous flanking attack, with the enemy conducting reconnaissance through combat, testing the Ukrainian defense line, Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military-Law Researches, said on Radio NV on May 11.

12 May 2024, 01:03 PM

Ukrainian defense lines