Brief report from the front, February 18, 2025
Offensive actions on our part may intensify in the Kremenny forests and in the Seversky direction. Report by Marat Khairullin with illustrations by Mikhail Popov.
In the Liman direction, units of the "West" military grouping liberated the settlement of Yampolovka. This was officially announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The battles for the village were quite fierce. Our fighters repeatedly carried out assault actions, which were repelled by the enemy. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched counterattacks. During the repulsion of one such counterattack, Russian troops literally entered the village on the shoulders of the retreating forces and managed to gain a foothold on the outskirts. Building on this success, they forced the enemy units, which had suffered losses during the battles, to abandon the settlement. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the area of the forest adjacent to Yampolovka (Yar Dalniy), where the enemy is attempting to accumulate forces.
Yampolovka was part of a series of defensive fortifications of the AFU along the Terny-Yampolovka-Torskoe line. Its liberation provides an opportunity to advance to the right bank of the Zherebets River in the settlement of Mirnoe, enabling further pressure on the settlement of Zarechnoe, which is part of the unified fortified area of Zarechnoe-Torskoe, covering the settlement of Liman/Krasny Liman.
The offensive actions of the Russian Armed Forces on the Liman direction, combined with advances in the Chasov Yar-Konstantinovka sector, are creating the necessary conditions for intensifying offensive operations in the Kremennye Forests and on the Seversk direction.
In the Seversk direction, heavy fighting is taking place in the areas of the settlements of Verkhnekamenskoe and Belogorovka. Our units have achieved minor tactical successes. Attacks are also ongoing in the direction of the Zolotarevsky Forest, where we are attempting to consolidate our positions.
The topography of the area plays a huge role in the enemy's defense in this sector, consisting of a series of hills and ravines, sparsely covered with foliage, stretching all the way to Seversk. The enemy's positions on the dominant heights (Belaya Gora, rising more than 150 meters, is the key one) allow them to control the terrain over significant distances.
In Chasov Yar, the Russian Armed Forces slightly expanded control in the area of high-rise buildings, pushing back the AFU. In the southern part of the sector, they reached the settlement of Stupochki, advancing along the road and forest area, which allowed them to take control of the heights in front of this settlement. According to some reports, forward groups are attempting to gain a foothold on the outskirts of Stupochki.
Throughout the sector, great importance is placed on damaging the enemy's logistics. Strikes are carried out using both aviation and drones. The enemy notes that our fiber-optic drones have already reached Konstantinovka, where enemy equipment is being targeted.
In the Toretsk/Dzerzhinsk sector, heavy fighting is ongoing for Petrovka/Novospasskoye and Shcherbinovka. East of the latter, Russian units advanced, eliminating a pocket between it and Dzerzhinsk.
They are also clearing the area of the Toretskaya mine (Шахты Торецкая) from the enemy (the mine is located on the northern outskirts of the city, adjacent to it but not part of its territory). (Look above the green area.)
In the Pokrovsk sector, battles of varying intensity continue. The most active fighting is in the areas of Peschanoe, Zverevo (Zvirove), Kotlino (Kotlyne), and Udachnoe. The enemy also attempted a counterattack in the Yelizavetovka (Yelyzavetivka) area. The counterattack was successfully repelled. The AFU lost the equipment involved in it.
In the Peschanoe area, the Russian Armed Forces regained positions previously occupied by the AFU.
In Leontovichi (northeast of Zverevo), a strike by the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed a bridge, disrupting the enemy's supply and rotation in the area of the settlement of Zverevo. In the Udachnoe area, our troops continue to push through the defenses of the AFU in this critically important fortified area for them. The overall advance in the settlement exceeds one kilometer.
In the Kurakhova sector, the liberation of Andreevka is almost complete. On the northern outskirts of the settlement, enemy strongholds were captured, allowing for an advance into the central part of Andreevka as well. At the same time, the movement of our units in the northern direction after consolidating their positions has been noted.
The clearing of the Kurakhovo pocket and assault actions in the settlement of Ulakly continue. Most of this settlement is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. The enemy attempted to stabilize the situation by transferring additional forces here but was unsuccessful. This only led to increased losses on their side due to poor coordination. There is also a decline in the morale of the enemy's personnel.
Attacks are also ongoing in the direction of Konstantinopol (Kostyantynopil). Moreover, our infantry is already accumulating within the settlement itself, as acknowledged by the enemy.
In the Velikaya Novosyolka (Velyka Novosilka) sector, units of the Russian Army are consolidating their positions in the settlement of Novosyolka. A pocket to the east, formed after the breakthrough into this settlement, was eliminated. Developing the offensive, our units advanced in the direction of the settlement of Burlatskoe —reaching the line of fortifications and splitting it into separate sections.
The Russian Aerospace Forces struck logistics, completely destroying a bridge between the settlements of Komar and Fyodorovka (Fedorivka) with precision-guided bombs. This crossing was used to transport equipment and supplies to AFU units operating in this direction. It allowed for the rapid movement of both light vehicles and heavy armored personnel carriers and artillery. The loss of this logistical route and the redirection to alternative, lower-capacity routes will increase the time required for delivering ammunition, fuel, and conducting rotations, reducing the maneuverability and combat effectiveness of enemy units.
Activity remains high north of Velikaya Novosyolka, where Russian units have consolidated in the settlement of Novocherevatoe. Attacks are also ongoing from our side and from the area of the settlement of Razdolnoe (Rozdolne).
Translation Note: When Russian is written by hand, the "г" (when typed) looks like a backwards "S," and the "и" looks like our "u." Also, the typed Russian "т" looks like a western "m" when it is written by hand. Lastly, the "д" turns into something that looks like a "d" in Russian script as well.
If you have trouble viewing the maps on Substack then you can try our other resources:
What the banderites are fighting for? Their country has been sold to banking cartel and fascist mega-corporations already.
The American Oakland Institute study: "28% of Ukraine's arable land belongs to a mixture consisting of Ukrainian oligarchs, European and North American corporations, as well as the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. The majority of Ukrainian agricultural holdings are owned by American NCH Capital, French AgroGeneration, German ADM Germany, KWS, Bayer and BASF, Saudi PIF and SALIC."
Barbara Bonte, a Belgian member of the European Union parliament: "Cargill, ADM, BlackRock, Oaktree Capital Management and Bunge Limited have reportedly gained control over much of Ukraine’s farmland."
In short, "U.S. corporate land grab in Ukraine underlies war with Russia."
That Oskil bridgehead, is what would give me nightmares if I were Syrskyi. Incremental gains to broaden the base, diverse terrain to hide equipment etc...zapadne here, dvorichna there....what are they going to wait for them to take Kutkivka before they get serious?
Germans had a rule in ww2, if the russ had a bridgehead for +72 hrs forget it, its over, so the uks arent that dumb ( are they?) , but they better start earmarking forces etc., 45-60 days max, that area/sector is going to erupt like a volcano, kharkov being masked from the south etc...or hell take it....