On the Northern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces fought for Sopych, attempted to advance south and northwest of Potapivka and south of Hrabovske, attacked in the direction of Mala Korchakovka, and near Yunakivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Sopych.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, Russian forces attacked near Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, and Starytsya, in the direction of Pishchane, Verkhnya Pysarivka, Bochkovе, and Okhrymivka.
On the Kupyansk Direction, Russian forces attacked within and near Kupyansk, near Kucherivka and Petropavlivka, in the direction of Kurylivka, Hlushkivka, and Novoosynove, near Novoplatonivka. Approximately 20 enemy personnel remain in the center of Kupyansk.
On the Sloviansk Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked in the direction of Ozerne–Yampil, liberated Ozerne, entered Yampil, cleared Lyman, and hold positions in the center of Riznykivka.
Russian forces attempted to advance east of Staryi Karavan and southwest of Riznykivka, attacked near Lyman, Svyatohirsk, Drobysheve, Stavky, Yampil, and Lypivka, in the direction of Ozerne, Dibrova, and Brusivka, near Platonivka, Zakitne, Kryva Luka, Kalenyky, Rai-Oleksandrivka, Nykyforivka, and Fedorivka Druha.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, Russian forces fought for Mykolaivka, attempted to advance southeast of Novodmytrivka, in the center of Kostyantynivka, northeast of Berestok, east of Dovha Balka, and west of Illinivka. Elements of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army are attempting to advance southeast of Novopavlivka. The occupiers attacked near Kostyantynivka, Minkivka, Holubivka, Pryvillya, and Novomаrkove, in the direction of Podilske, near Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, Ivanopillya, Stepanivka, Rusyn Yar, Sofiivka, Pavlivka, and Novopavlivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces hold positions in the southwestern part of Kostyantynivka and on the eastern outskirts and in the center of Illinivka.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, Russian forces attempted to advance south of Hryshyne and toward Serhiivka, attacked near Dorizhne, Nove Shakhove, Pokrovsk, and Novooleksandrivka, in the direction of Shevchenkove, near Bilytske, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Kotlyne, Novopidhorodnie, Molodetske, and Udachne.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, Russian forces attacked near Novopavlivka, Muravka, Novomykolayivka, Dachne, Filiya, and Krasnohirske, in the direction of Zlahoda and Danylivka, and conducted assault operations along the T0428 Novopavlivka–Dachne highway.
Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced north of Novoivanivka, destroyed a UAV unit command post near Obratne, and a communications hub near Manhush.
On the Huliaypole Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck enemy forces that had advanced in the south of Zaliznychne, counterattacked near Charivne, and destroyed a UAV unit command post near Huliaypole.
Russian forces fought for Charivne, attempted to advance northeast of Huliaypilske and north of Myrne, attacked near Huliaypole, in the direction of Verkhnya Tersa, Vozdvyzhivka, Zirnytsia, Boykove, Rizdvyanka, Dobropillya, Zelene, Varvarivka, and Hirke.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the center of Novodanylivka and struck a 58th Combined Arms Army ammunition depot in Terpinnya, a fuel depot in Melitopol, and an ammunition depot in Stepne with UAVs.
Russian forces attacked near Stepove, Prymorske, and Stepnohirsk.
Supporting operation:
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in Staraya Rus, Novgorod Oblast; a fuel depot in Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai; a UAV training center near Henichenska Hirka, Kherson Oblast; struck the battalion command post and a Bastion coastal missile system launcher of the 15th Separate Coastal Missile Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet near Verkhniekurhannе; an S-400 SAM system near Shkilne; and a logistics depot of the Khersones air base in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
General conclusion:
The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces continues to exaggerate battlefield gains to create a false picture of the frontline situation in Ukraine. The enemy failed to seize Drobysheve, Yarova, Sosnove, Riznykivka, Kalenyky, Holubivka, and Veselyanka — in reality controlling 24% of Drobysheve, 50% of Yarova, 57% of Riznykivka, and having no presence whatsoever in Sosnove, Holubivka, Kalenyky, and Veselyanka. Russian General Staff claims of advancing 12 km west of Siversk and controlling 85% of Novoosynove and 60% of Kostyantynivka are also false: the enemy has actually advanced only 4.55 km, with individual infiltration groups reaching 7.7 km west of Siversk. Enemy units are entirely absent from Novoosynove, and in Kostyantynivka they control only 7.85% of the city.
The enemy is also attempting to downplay Ukrainian Defense Forces successes in eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, claiming to hold the initiative, advance actively, and repel all Ukrainian counterattacks from the Pokrovsk and Velykomykhailivka directions. In reality, Ukrainian Defense Forces liberated more than 400 km² on the Oleksandrivka and Huliaypole Directions from the end of January to mid-March of this year. The occupiers’ claims of expanding the buffer zone in Sumy and Kharkiv Oblasts and seizing Bobylivka, Rohizne, Chervona Zoria, and Mala Bobylivka in Sumy Oblast and Kruhle in Kharkiv Oblast also do not reflect reality. Russian forces conduct limited cross-border raids on these small villages to create an information effect of front line fragility in Ukraine. In fact, the front line is operationally stable, and Ukrainian Defense Forces have liberated more territory than the enemy has seized in the same period.
Russian forces are unable to reach the administrative boundaries of Kupyansk; the enemy group encircled in the city is cut off from ground resupply and is entirely dependent on UAV logistics drops.
Assault operations by forward elements of the enemy’s 25th Combined Arms Army toward the southeastern part of Lyman have been stopped.
Russian forces shelled Oleksandrivka and Bilenke, which may indicate the beginning of preparations for an enemy spring–summer 2026 offensive against the “fortress belt.” The enemy continues to use both accumulated small infantry groups and to conduct assault operations with armored vehicles.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces maintain fire control over enemy logistics; improving weather conditions have not significantly affected the battlefield situation. Soldiers of the 506th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 27th Motorized Rifle Division of the 2nd Combined Arms Army change into civilian clothing while conducting reconnaissance in the Ukrainian rear.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, Russian forces have been unable to retake any of the territory they recently lost but continue attempts to infiltrate small groups on this direction.
Change in the line of contact (LoC), directions of attacks and counterattacks:
There were 286 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk Directions, 4 combat engagements took place.
On the Southern Slobozhansky Direction, the enemy made 13 attempts to breach Ukrainian defensive lines in the areas of Vovchansk, Starytsya, Lyman, and Pishchane, and toward Okhrymivka and Bochkovе.
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 18 times in the areas of Petropavlivka, Kurylivka, Novoosynove, Hlushkivka, and Novoplatonivka.
On the Sloviansk Direction, 16 enemy attempts to penetrate Ukrainian defense toward Lyman and Chervonyi Stav, in the areas of Kolodyazi and Drobysheve, and to advance in the areas of Yampil, Platonivka, and Zakitne, and toward Rai-Oleksandrivka were stopped.
On the Kostyantynivka Direction, the enemy carried out 48 attacks in the areas of Minkivka, Novomаrkove, Kostyantynivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Sofiivka, Pleshchiivka, Ivanopillya, Illinivka, Rusyn Yar, Stepanivka, and Novopavlivka.
On the Pokrovsk Direction, 72 enemy assault actions were stopped in the areas of Bilytske, Dorizhne, Nove Shakhove, Rodynske, Novooleksandrivka, Myrnohrad, Shevchenko, Hryshyne, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Muravka, Novopidhorodnie, Molodetske, Novopavlivka, Filiya, and Dachne.
On the Oleksandrivka Direction, the enemy attacked three times in the areas of Zlahoda, Zelenyi Hai, and Krasnohirske.
On the Huliaypole Direction, 31 enemy attacks took place in the areas of Zaliznychne, Huliaypole, Myrne, Olenokostyantynivka, Huliaypilske, Zelene, and Dobropillya.
On the Orikhiv Direction, 2 combat engagements took place with the enemy near Stepove.
On the Prydniprovske Direction, an enemy attack was repelled.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 82nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army operates near Prylipka.
The 352nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps intercepts Defense Forces UAVs over Kurylivka; the 12th Tank Regiment of the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army strikes southeast of Borivska Andriivka.
The 123rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army operates south of Riznykivka; the army’s 2nd Artillery Brigade strikes near Rai-Oleksandrivka.
The 1465th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Combined Arms Army strikes in the southern and southwestern parts of Kostyantynivka. Artillery of the 1442nd and 1008th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division of the 3rd Army Corps strikes in the northern part of Kostyantynivka; the 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Combined Arms Army strikes in the eastern part of Illinivka; the 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army strikes near Novomykolayivka.
The 56th Separate SOF Battalion of the 51st Combined Arms Army strikes near Dobropillya, Krasnopodillya, and Nadiia.
The 30th Separate SOF Company of the 36th Combined Arms Army strikes in Novomykolayivka; the 43rd Separate SOF Company strikes in Novohryhorivka; the “Martin Pushkar Volunteer Detachment” strikes in Orestopil and near Solodke and Myrne; the 24th Separate SOF Brigade operates in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army strikes southeast of Huliaypilske; the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army strikes near Verkhnya Tersa; the 14th Separate SOF Brigade strikes near Hirke.
The 71st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Combined Arms Army strikes in Novodanylivka; the division’s 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment strikes near Orikhiv.
The 4th Military Base of the 58th Combined Arms Army strikes northwest of Kherson city.
Possible operation situation developments:
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 enemy’s 3rd Combined Arms Army will break through to the Mykolaivka–Nykanorivka line and, with part of its forces, to the Vasylivska Pustosh–Vasyutynske line, in order to reach the near approaches to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk respectively.
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 18.03.26
Personnel - almost 1,282 570 (+1,710);
Tanks – 11,786 (+3);
Armored combat vehicles ‒ 24,229 (+11);
Artillery systems – 38,506 (+29);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,688 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,333 (0);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 83,974 (+230);
Aircraft - 435 (0);
Helicopters – 349 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 184,333 (+1,189);
Intercepted cruise and other missiles – 4,468 (0);
Boats/ships – 35 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from the evening of 17 March Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine with 147 UAVs of various types, including Shahed, Herber, and Italmas. By 08:00, air defense forces had shot down or suppressed 128 enemy drones in the north, south, and east of the country. Hits from 15 strike UAVs were recorded at 12 locations, with debris falling at three more. The enemy attack was ongoing.
According to the State Emergency Service, on the night of 18 March Russian forces attacked the residential area of the town of Zolochiv in Bohodukhivsky district of Kharkiv Oblast with UAVs. Two private houses were completely destroyed in the strike, causing a fire covering 180 square meters. Preliminary reports indicate five people were injured. Despite the threat of further strikes, rescuers eliminated the consequences of the attack.
According to Chernihiv Oblast Military Administration head Viacheslav Chaus and the State Emergency Service, overnight in Menska community a Russian UAV struck a diesel locomotive, causing a fire. The driver and his assistant were injured in the attack. In Snovska community, an enemy drone struck a residential building, damaging property and causing a fire. In addition, FPV drone strikes in another settlement in the Oblast set outbuildings ablaze and a 19-year-old was hospitalized with a shrapnel wound.
According to the Odesa Oblast Military Administration and the State Emergency Service, a Russian UAV attack in Odesa Oblast damaged a critical infrastructure facility and some equipment. The resulting fire was promptly extinguished by rescuers; there were no casualties. In Mykolaiv Oblast, Shahed drone strikes and falling debris in Pervomaisky district damaged a power line and an outbuilding at a private residence.
According to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and Oblast Military Administration head Oleh Syniehubov, one person was killed and five were injured in a Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of 18 March. In the Kholodnohirsky district of Kharkiv, a 54-year-old man was killed in a strike UAV attack; three more people, including a 16-year-old boy, were hospitalized with blast trauma. In the village of Ruski Tyshky, an enemy drone attacked a civilian vehicle, injuring a 65-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman with moderate injuries.
On Wednesday, an enemy drone struck the premises of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center in Sumy; there were no casualties inside the building, but a passerby near the impact site was injured.
According to DTEK, Russian occupiers attacked energy workers in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with two FPV drones. In a frontline village, enemy drones struck a crew vehicle heading out to inspect power lines. The vehicle burned completely, but the energy workers managed to exit in time and were unharmed.
According to “Ukrenerho,” hourly rolling blackout schedules have been introduced for the population across all regions of Ukraine due to a difficult situation in the energy system. Emergency outages are also in effect in some Oblasts and will be lifted once the situation stabilizes. The main causes of the restrictions are the consequences of previous Russian missile and drone attacks, rising energy consumption due to falling temperatures, and low solar power plant output under current weather conditions.
According to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey conducted in early March:
trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rose by 9 percentage points to 62%. Researchers note that the figure has returned to previous levels after a noticeable decline in mid-February. Currently, 28% of respondents trust the President fully and 34% mostly trust him, while the distrust level stands at 32%. Analysis showed that rating fluctuations in previous months were driven primarily by respondents with an undecided attitude toward territorial concessions, while trust levels among those categorically opposed to troop withdrawal remained consistently high.
69% of Ukrainians believe elections should take place only after a final peace agreement is concluded and the war is fully over. Compared to December 2025, this figure rose by 10 percentage points from 59%. At the same time, researchers recorded a marked decline in the share of those who would accept elections immediately after a ceasefire — this figure fell from 23% to 13%.
Ukraine’s Security Service uncovered a large-scale Russian intelligence information and psychological special operation aimed at destabilizing the situation in Zakarpattia and inciting hostility between Ukraine and Hungary. According to the SBU, the perpetrators used IP telephony to spoof Ukrainian numbers and made anonymous calls to members of the Hungarian community threatening physical violence. The organizers of the operation posed as law enforcement officers or participants in nationalist-patriotic movements, demanding that people leave the country. Law enforcement established that the calls were made from Russian territory and urged citizens not to fall for provocations and to report such incidents.
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