On the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attacked near Sopych.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attacked near Lyptsi, Vovchansk, Izbytske, Vovchanski Khutory, and Verkhnya Pysarivka, and carried out airstrikes on Rubizhne with FAB-500 bombs with UMPK modules.
On the Kupyansk Direction, Russian forces attacked near Fyholivka and Podoly, near Kucherivka, in the direction of Petropavlivka, Hlushkivka, Kurylivka, and Novoosynove. The 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army, operating on the direction, sustained significant losses, lost combat capability, and was withdrawn from its positions.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked north of Kupyansk and struck a missile unit concentration area near Dovzhansk in Luhansk Oblast.
On the Sloviansk Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the south of Yampil and hold Ozerne.
Russian forces attacked near Lyman, Drobysheve, Stavky, Yampil, Platonivka, Dronivka, Zakitne, Riznykivka, Kryva Luka, Rai-Oleksandrivka, Nykyforivka, and Fedorivka Druha.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced on the southern outskirts of Kostyantynivka.
Russian forces attempted to advance northwest of Stupochky, attacked near Kostyantynivka, Novomаrkove, Pleshchiivka, Ivanopillya, Kleban-Byk, Rusyn Yar, Illinivka, Novopavlivka, and Sofiivka.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, Russian forces advanced near Toretske, Novyi Donbas, Nove Shakhove, Pokrovsk, Rodynske, Bilytske, Myrnohrad, Zatyshok, Sukhetske, Molodetske, and Udachne.
Ukrainian Defense Forces conduct search-and-strike operations in Hryshyne, clearing the center of the village where intense fighting continues, and struck enemy concentration areas near Shakhove, Udachne, and Pokrovsk.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, Russian forces advanced near Novopavlivka, attacked near Oleksandrohrad, Berezove, Ternove, Novomykolayivka, and Novohryhorivka, in the direction of Verbove.
On the Huliaypole Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces strike east of Huliaypilske.
Russian forces advanced north of Zarichne, attacked near Huliaypole, in the direction of Rizdvyanka, Varvarivka, Olenokostyantynivka, Svyatopetrivka, Dobropillya, Zelene, Zlahoda, Zaliznychne, and Myrne, in the direction of Charivne and Huliaypilske.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Russian forces attacked near Pavlivka, Prymorske, Shcherbaky, Richne, and Stepnohirsk.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattack near Prymorske and Stepnohirsk.
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a logistics depot near the village of Osipenko and a UAV storage depot in the Prymorsk area of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a 59N6-E “Protyvnyk” radar and a 73E6 “Parol” radar in the Libknekhtivka area, and an S-400 “Triumf” SAM launcher near Dalne in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
General conclusion:
On the Huliaypole Direction, the enemy has transitioned to active defense, attempting to hold its forward positions on the right flank — that is, in the sectors of the 29th and 36th Combined Arms Armies — and prevent further Ukrainian Defense Forces advances to the south and southeast toward the Huliaypole–Velyka Novosilka road. Over the past week, Defense Forces forward elements, attacking with considerable intensity, penetrated the enemy’s defenses and pushed the enemy back on the Oleksandrohrad–Voskresenka and Sosnivka–Sichneve lines. Their assault groups entered Sichneve and engaged on the outskirts of Voskresenka. As a result, several enemy groups in the Novoselivka area that had previously broken through to the Vovcha river now find themselves in a difficult position.
The enemy’s 36th Combined Arms Army is still unable on its own to eliminate Ukrainian Defense Forces tactical penetrations in its sector on the Rybne–Novomykolayivka stretch. Ukrainian units have a realistic chance of reaching the Huliaypole–Velyka Novosilka road on the Temyrivka–Uspenivka (Novovasylivske) stretch. Ukrainian Defense Forces assault groups have already reached a line less than 2 km from this lateral road and are in a position to block significant enemy maneuver, including by bringing fire to bear on the crossing over the Yanchur river in the Novovasylivske area.
The active offensive operations by Ukrainian Defense Forces on the flanks of the 36th Combined Arms Army, adjacent to the neighboring 29th and 5th Combined Arms Armies, were not taken seriously in time by the “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping command, as the reinforcement of the 36th and 29th Combined Arms Armies with “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping operational reserves only occurred two weeks after the start of intensive Ukrainian counterattacks. To halt the Defense Forces’ advance in the sectors of the 29th and 36th Combined Arms Armies, the “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping command may commit up to two brigades of the 35th Combined Arms Army. The 40th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet and the 120th Separate Marine Infantry Division of the Baltic Fleet are being transferred to the 36th Combined Arms Army’s sector, having urgently suspended their combat capability restoration on the Kostyantynivka Direction.
The key feature of the situation on the Oleksandrivka Direction is that the active offensive operations by Ukrainian Defense Forces in the center and on the right flank of the “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping’s operational zone have not led to a reduction in the intensity of the enemy’s offensive operations in its 5th Combined Arms Army’s sector; the “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping command continues to advance west and northwest of Huliaypole despite the obvious risk of Ukrainian Defense Forces reaching the flank of that same 5th Combined Arms Army.
The 5th Combined Arms Army (127th Motorized Rifle Division, 57th and 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades), elements of the 35th Combined Arms Army, and the 76th Air Assault Division of the “Dnepr” Operational Grouping continue their offensive northwest, west, and southwest of Huliaypole with the aim of enveloping the Orikhiv defensive district from the east and northeast. Even successful Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacks on the army’s right flank in the direction of Dobropillya–Rivnopillya and on the adjacent left flank of the 36th Combined Arms Army have not brought the grouping to a complete halt, though it has slowed considerably.
On one hand, the enemy’s 5th Combined Arms Army has achieved tangible tactical successes, having almost completely seized Huliaypole, broken through to the west and southwest to the Zaliznychne area, and is developing its offensive in the general direction of Zelene–Olenokostyantynivka–Pryluky and toward Verkhnya Tersa. On the other hand, successful Defense Forces counterattacks on the right flank of the 5th Combined Arms Army and on the adjacent left flank of the 36th Combined Arms Army have led to the envelopment of the 5th Combined Arms Army’s main forces, which are attempting to advance west and northwest of Huliaypole. Ukrainian Defense Forces units defending in the area of Myrne and north of Zahirne — effectively covering the eastern approaches to the Orikhiv defensive district — now find themselves in a difficult position: the enemy has enveloped them from the north and threatens to cut them off from the main forces should it continue advancing through Huliaypilske into their rear.
The enemy’s “Vostok (East)” Operational Grouping can no longer simultaneously advance across the entire 5th Combined Arms Army’s sector and successfully repel Defense Forces counterattacks on its right flank. The situation for the enemy could deteriorate further if Ukrainian Defense Forces units reach the Solodke–Rivnopillya line or break through to Pryvilne and Uspenivka, which would force the 5th Combined Arms Army command to reorient from west to north and restore operational contact with the adjacent 36th Combined Arms Army. To prevent this, the enemy command organized several counterattacks northwest of Rivnopillya and pushed Ukrainian Defense Forces forward units back from the village by up to 1 km — which has not changed the situation even at the tactical level: Defense Forces have reached the Rybne area and positions east of Dobropillya. The 5th Combined Arms Army has been unable to seize the Tsvitkove–Krynychne–Staroukrainka–Hirske area, which complicates its advance toward Verkhnya Tersa.
Change in the line of contact (LoC), directions of attacks and counterattacks:
There were 167 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk Directions, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4 enemy assaults.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, the enemy twice assaulted Defense Forces positions toward Vilcha.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 4 times in the direction of Kurylivka, Novoosynove, and Hlushkivka.
On the Sloviansk Direction, 19 enemy attempts to penetrate the defense toward Dibrova, Lyman, and Drobysheve, and to advance in the areas of Yampil, Zakitne, and Platonivka, and in the directions of Ozerne, Riznykivka, and Rai-Oleksandrivka were stopped.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, the enemy carried out 26 attacks toward Kostyantynivka, Illinivka, and Novopavlivka, and in the areas of Stupochky, Pleshchiivka, Berestok, and Rusyn Yar.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, 36 enemy assault actions were stopped toward Vilne, Novooleksandrivka, Shevchenko, Toretske, Bilytske, and Nove Shakhove, and in the areas of Zatyshok, Nykanorivka, Kotlyne, Novomykolayivka, Udachne, Novopidhorodnie, Myrnohrad, Rodynske, Molodetske, and Filiya.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, the enemy attacked 12 times in the areas of Zelenyi Hai, Oleksandrohrad, Kalynivske, Berezove, Ternove, Pershotravneve, Novomykolayivka, and Zlahoda, and in the direction of Verbove.
Throughout the week, Ukrainian Defense Forces offensive operations also continued in the direction of Sosnivka–Ternove, on the right flank of the 36th Combined Arms Army adjacent to the 29th Combined Arms Army. Defense Forces units consolidated in Ternove, while the enemy held the Berezove area and made several attempts to counterattack Ternove from the flank, all of which failed. Defense Forces forward units advanced in the direction of Kalynivske–Novomykolayivka and entered the settlement. To prevent further advances, the enemy attacked unsuccessfully from the direction of Berezove and Zaporizke. Assault groups held Novomykolayivka and advanced to its southeastern part. On the Verbove–Novohryhorivka axis, Defense Forces advanced and consolidated in the northwestern part of Novohryhorivka, and to its east approached Novoivanivka to within 1.5 km. Operating along the western bank of the Yanchur river, Ukrainian Defense Forces penetrated the enemy’s defenses on the Zlahoda–Rybne axis, liberating the latter. On the opposite bank, the enemy holds Krasnohirske and periodically attempts to counterattack Rybne and prevent further Defense Forces advances along the road from Rybne to Uspenivka.
On the Huliaypole Direction, 20 enemy attacks took place in the area of Huliaypole and toward Zaliznychne, Varvarivka, Svyatopetrivka, Olenokostyantynivka, and Charivne.
Operating along the railway northward from Zaliznychne, assault groups of the 57th and 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades broke through to the western outskirts of Staroukrainka and began fighting for it and broke through to the eastern outskirts of Hirke. South of the Huliaypole–Orikhiv road, the 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade advanced up to 4.5 km in the direction of Zaliznychne–Huliaypilske. Enemy assault groups north of Zarichne and east of Myrne penetrated Ukrainian defenses to the depth of first-echelon company strongpoints. The enemy is attacking in the direction of Zelene–Svyatopetrivka, entered the latter and advanced 1.5 km. After pushing Defense Forces units out of Olenokostyantynivka and Pryluky, the enemy’s attempts to tactically exploit its success in the direction of Vozdvyzhivka, Tsvetkova, and Dobropillya were unsuccessful, owing to successful counterattacks by Ukrainian Defense Forces assault groups on the opposite bank of the Khaychur river, east of Varvarivka, where they penetrated the combat formations of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division.
On the Orikhiv Direction, one combat engagement took place with the enemy in the area of Pavlivka.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 56th Air Assault Regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division operates in the border zone of Kursk Oblast.
The 7th Separate Reconnaissance Brigade of the 1st Tank Army strikes in the northeast of Novoosynove.
The 169th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 25th Combined Arms Army strikes in the south of Yampil.
The 1008th, 1307th, and 1442nd Motorized Rifle Regiments, the 89th Tank Regiment of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division of the 3rd Army Corps, the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army, the 20th Motorized Rifle Regiment, and an FSB detachment strike in Kostyantynivka; the 57th Separate SOF Company of the 8th Combined Arms Army strikes near Druzhkivka, Toretske, and Myrne.
The 75th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 201st Military Base employs swarm tactics to strike Ukrainian positions and logistics on the Pokrovsk Direction. The 80th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the 51st Combined Arms Army operates near Novooleksandrivka.
The 14th Separate SOF Brigade strikes northeast of Lisne, near Barvinivka and Vozdvyzhenka.
Possible operation situation developments:
The enemy has begun preparations for this year’s summer campaign. Two offensive operations should be expected starting from the end of April 2026 — the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and the Orikhiv-Zaporizhzhia operations. The disruption of the enemy’s summer offensive will lead to a prolonged loss of offensive capabilities, depletion of resources, and will provide a real chance to end the war. The Lyman, Sloviansk, and Kostyantynivka Directions are acquiring strategic significance, as the enemy’s military-political leadership is urgently requiring several convincing operational victories that can be presented as victory in the entire war.
The enemy “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping will continue to operate simultaneously along the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, and the Velykyi Burluk Direction and will attempt to seize as large an area as possible in Sumy Oblast and Kharkiv Oblast with the aim of subsequent political bargaining for their exchange for territories in Donetsk Oblast that the enemy will be unable to seize.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, in the Vovchansk area, the enemy “Belgorod–Kharkov” Tactical Group will continue attempts to break through along the eastern bank of the Siverskyi Donets in the southern direction and advance as far as possible in the Vovchansk–Bilyi Kolodyaz direction. Attempting to advance in the general Vovchansk–Staryi Saltiv direction, the Tactical Group command will try to secure the right flank of its main forces, which will advance toward Bilyi Kolodyaz.
In the Kupyansk area, Russian forces will attack along the Pishchane–Kurylivka line and further toward Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, as well as along the Kolisnykivka–Hlushkivka line and further toward Kivsharivka and Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi. The 6th Combined Arms Army of the enemy “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping will advance simultaneously on three directions: toward Staryi Saltiv, Velykyi Burluk, and in the Kupyansk area. The army’s troops will advance in the Krasne Pershe–Novovasylivka and Dvorichna–Ridkodub directions, attack in the Milove–Ambarne direction with the aim of capturing the latter and will try to outflank from the north and south the defensive strongpoint of the 16th Army Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kolodyazne area. The 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army will attempt to eliminate the bridgehead of the 16th Army Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces on the Oskil east of Kupyansk.
On the Sloviansk Direction, the command of the enemy’s 3rd Combined Arms Army has an immediate task to reach the Mykolaivka – Nykanorivka line with its main forces, that is, to reach the near approaches to Sloviansk from the east, and reach the Vasylivska Pustosh – Vasyutynske line with part of its forces, that is, the near approaches to Kramatorsk from the east.
On the Kostyantynivka direction, the enemy “Yug (South)” Operational Grouping will attempt to seize the Druzhkivka–Kostyantynivka agglomeration by enveloping the flanks of Kostyantynivka, while simultaneously breaking through to the near approaches to Druzhkivka, after which it will assault Kostyantynivka and push Ukrainian Defense Forces out of the Druzhkivka area under the threat of encirclement. Enemy forces will advance toward the Malotaranivka–Semenivka–Bilokuzmynivka–Komyshuvakha area north of Druzhkivka. Ukrainian Defense Forces will be forced to withdraw from the area between Kostyantynivka and the Kleban-Byk Reservoir under the threat of encirclement to the area north of road T0504, which will slow the assault actions of the enemy’s 3rd Army Corps in Kostyantynivka.
On the Dobropillya Direction, in the near term the enemy will attempt to break through to the northwest, striking with the adjacent flanks of the 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies and breaking through to the Novohryshyne–Dobropillya (village)–Chernihivka–Shevchenko area, i.e. reaching the near approaches to Dobropillya city from the south. In the operational zone of the “Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping, Russian forces can no longer simultaneously break through to Dobropillya from the south, southeast, and east, meaning they are already forced to accomplish this task sequentially. It is likely that the 2nd Combined Arms Army will first break through from the direction of Pokrovsk to the near approaches to Dobropillya from the south, after which the main effort of the “”Tsentr (Center)” Operational Grouping command will shift to the 51st Combined Arms Army’s sector, which will break through to the city from the east and southeast, following which the assault on Dobropillya will begin.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, units of the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps, operating on the left flank of the 29th Combined Arms Army, will be forced to withdraw to the Voskresenka–Maliivka line and attempt to hold it; the forces of the 29th Combined Arms Army as a whole will be forced to withdraw from the Vovcha river on their left flank.
On the Huliaypole Direction, the 5th Combined Arms Army will in the near term attempt to break through to the Verkhnya Tersa–Huliaypilske line, with its forward units already pushing in the direction of Verkhnya Tersa from Zaliznychne and Zelene, and attacking along the Huliaypole–Orikhiv road toward Huliaypilske from Zaliznychne and from Dorozhnyanka. In addition, the army will attempt to restore its positions along the Khaychur river.
On the Prydniprovske direction, the command of the enemy’s “Dnepr” Operational Grouping will continue trying to take control of most of the island zone in the Dnipro delta in the direction of Kherson, will try to create a tactical bridgehead on the right bank, and to eliminate the tactical bridgeheads of the 30th Marine Corps of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of the automobile and railway bridges near Antonivka.
Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 16.03.26
Personnel - almost 1,279 930 (+760);
Tanks – 11,781 (+0);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 24,215 (+2);
Artillery systems – 38,457 (+19);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,687 (+1);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1 333 (+1);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 83,624 (+111);
Aircraft - 435 (0);
Helicopters – 349 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 181,153 (+1 883);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 4,468 (0);
Boats/ships – 35 (+1).
Humanitarian + general:
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, on the night of 16 March and throughout Monday morning the enemy attacked Ukraine with 211 UAVs, including more than 100 Shaheds as well as Gerbera, Italmas, and other drone types. Air defense managed to shoot down or suppress 194 enemy targets. The main axes of the strike were Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv Oblasts; the military described the attack on Kyiv Oblast as atypical due to the timing and drone types employed. Hits from 16 UAVs were recorded at 10 locations, with debris falling at 11 more, including on Independence Square in the center of the capital. As of 11:00, operations were ongoing.
According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration head Ivan Fedorov, on the night of 16 March Russian occupiers attacked Zaporizhzhia. The strikes damaged residential buildings and caused fires at the impact sites. As of the morning, three casualties are known.
According to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, on the morning of 16 March Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with Shahed UAVs. Two hits were recorded in Kyivsky district and one more strike in Shevchenkivsky district, with at least one person injured. Another strike hit the boundary between the two districts, damaging a transport infrastructure facility.
According to Sumy Oblast Military Administration head Oleh Hryhorov and the State Emergency Service, on the morning of 16 March one person was killed and four were injured in Russian attacks in Sumy Oblast. In Velykopysarivska community, an enemy UAV attacked a 48-year-old local resident on a motorcycle; the man died from his serious injuries. In the Zarichnyi district of Sumy, a drone struck the roadway, damaging civilian vehicles and residential buildings and injuring four people.
According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration head Oleksandr Hanzha, a 71-year-old woman was injured in overnight Russian artillery and UAV strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In Nikopol district, Nikopol, Marhanetska community, and Pokrovska community came under fire, with damage to homes recorded. In Synelnykivsky district, attacks on Vasylkivska and Petropavlivska communities caused fires in private houses, outbuildings, and on the grounds of an agribusiness.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia’s press service, targeted Russian strikes on railway infrastructure in Sumy Oblast have temporarily suspended commuter train services. The damage to railway facilities is significant, requiring several days of emergency repair work to ensure passenger safety.
According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration head Ivan Fedorov, Russian occupiers attacked a residential area of Zaporizhzhia in the morning, killing a woman. Three more people were injured, including a 15-year-old girl and a woman with a disability, both of whom were pulled from the rubble of a destroyed house by rescuers. Windows were blown out across the affected neighborhood, with facades and rooftops of residential buildings also damaged.
On Monday 16 March, Russian invaders attacked a grain-loading truck in Sadivska community in Sumy Oblast with a drone, killing the driver.
According to the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, on 16 March one person was killed and two more were injured in massed airstrikes, artillery shelling, and UAV attacks on settlements in Kherson Oblast. In Kherson, a 38-year-old female passenger was killed when explosives were dropped from a drone onto a civilian vehicle, while the driver sustained shrapnel wounds. Also in the morning in the regional center, a man was hospitalized with serious injuries after another attack on a separate vehicle.
According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration head Oleksandr Hanzha, two people were killed in a Russian attack on Zaitsivska community in Synelnykivsky district. Seven more residents were injured, including three children. The strike destroyed 10 private houses and damaged a school building.
According to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, the Russian strike on the Novodnistrovsk hydroelectric power plant caused an oil spill into the Dnister river, threatening the country’s water supply. In response, Moldovan authorities declared a 15-day environmental emergency and took measures to protect the population, including temporarily restricting water supply in several settlements.
On the occasion of the 12th anniversary of Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Crimea, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry stated that Russia has turned the peninsula into a territory of lawlessness and a launching pad for aggression. Over the years of occupation, at least 430 people have faced politically motivated charges, and around 300 people remain in Russian captivity today, including 159 Crimean Tatars. The occupation authorities continue brutal persecution on grounds of opinion, language, and faith; Ukrainian diplomats are demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners and Russia’s compliance with international law.
According to a KIIS survey conducted on 1–8 March, the outcome of a potential referendum on a peace agreement depends significantly on how the question is framed. Specifically, when an experimental version is used that emphasizes EU membership by 2027, security guarantees, and a reconstruction plan — while mentioning “territorial compromises” — 86% of voters would support the initiative. Even among those categorically opposed to trading territory for security guarantees, 54% are willing to vote “yes” if the terms of the agreement are presented in the “right” way.
At the same time, researchers warn of manipulation risks and legitimacy concerns due to potentially low turnout, with only 64% of respondents expressing willingness to vote. Given security factors and the large number of refugees abroad, there is a risk of failing to reach the legally required turnout threshold of 50%+1 vote, which could lead to the results being rejected by the public.
According to Ukraine’s Ombudsman’s Office, the occupation authorities sentenced 68-year-old Halyna Bekhter, a resident of the village of Plorоdidne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast to 11 years in prison on a state treason charge. Russian investigators allege that in July 2023 the woman transferred funds in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through a Ukrainian bank’s mobile application. Russia’s FSB classifies such actions as “providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.”
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