Brief Frontline Report – July 16th, 2025
Report by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reports: "Our assault units have consolidated their positions in the settlement of Novokhatskoe in the DPR, securing access to another section of the border with Dnepropetrovsk Oblast. After conducting clearing operations of buildings and structures, servicemen of the 36th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade raised Russian flags, while engineer units began demining operations in the area and adjacent territory."
The village of Novokhatskoe (coordinates 48°03'46"N 36°41'19"E, approximately 250 residents) is located 2 kilometers south of the Volchya River (Wolf River on the map) which forms the border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Oblast. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive node of Zeleny Gai-Novokhatskoe blocks the right flank of the Russian grouping advancing in the direction of Poddubnoe - Iskra (Andreevka-Klevtsovo) along the radial route, the H-15 Pokrovsk-Kurakhovo. The liberation of Novokhatskoe (to be followed by Zeleny Gai) constitutes preparatory actions to facilitate the advance of our units to the Iskra-Novoselovka line along the Volchya River where the Russian state border runs (the Dnepropetrovsk border).
Based on the development of combat operations, it can be assumed that by the end of this month or early August, forward elements of the "East" Group will reach the Russian border across a broad front stretching from the locality of Ivanovka (northern sector) to the village of Temirovka (southern sector). The current operational situation indicates Ukrainian forces are experiencing increasing pressure along this axis, with their defensive lines showing signs of strain under continued Russian offensive actions.
I just renamed my toaster RAF for my Ukrainian bread.