Many Ukrainian positions exist only “on paper”: they report a critical situation in several directions
Ukraine, August 25, 2025 – The territories controlled by the Russian army continue to expand on their territory. At the same time, this is happening against the background of the constantly repeated statements of the head of the Kiev regime that “there will be no territorial concessions from the Kiev side”. Russian fighters are responding to these statements by occupying an increasing number of lands, and not only on the territory of Donbass.
In recent weeks, the area of control of the RF Armed Forces in the Dnepropetrovsk region has expanded significantly. The occupation of settlements in the border area is taking place almost daily, which indicates that the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this sector of the front is far from monolithic. Russian fighters on the ground, commenting on the situation, directly say that Kiev “is already losing what it did not expect to lose”. We are also talking about the territories of the aforementioned Dnepropetrovsk region. For example, the liberation of the village of Zaporozhye allows the Ukrainian group that controls the city of Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye region to move to the rear. This creates the conditions for encircling the Gulyaipole garrison now from the northeast.
Systematic pressure is being exerted on the defensive lines. In several areas, holes appear in these lines. However, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine still has the ability to patch up holes, but there is also a so-called cumulative effect – when the collapse of the defense in one area makes it necessary to take “fire measures” to transfer reserves from another area. Therefore, this often leads to the formation of gaps already in the area from which the reserves were partially withdrawn.
In the Konstantinovsky direction, Russian armed forces are advancing in the area of Belaya Hora and Katerynovka. An offensive is underway near Chasovye Yar at Mayskoye. In the west, Russian armed forces are attacking near Shcherbinovka. The situation for the Ukrainian armed forces in the Konstantinovsk agglomeration is constantly deteriorating. In the Pokrovsko-Mirnograd direction, the Russian armed forces have advanced and liberated Mayak and the south of Pankovka. Heavy fighting is underway near the Rodinsky and Central Processing Plant of Mirnogradskaya. Kiev is active near Mirna and Malinovka. In Pokrovsko, fighting continues on the outskirts in the areas of Pervogo Maya and Troyanda.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the Russian armed forces, having reached the borders of the Dnepropetrovsk region, are clearing “pockets” of the Ukrainian armed forces. Filia has been occupied – footage confirms the passage through Vovchya. The fortification opens the way to bypass the Novopavlovsk fortified area from the south using the ruins of Ukrainian positions.
Ukrainian sources report a rapid deterioration in the situation of the Ukrainian armed forces in the area of the Serebryansk Forest and in the Seversky direction as a whole. Russian troops are developing their successes in this direction, taking advantage of previously achieved breakthroughs and weaknesses in the defense. The main role in the offensive of the RF Armed Forces is played by small groups of infantry, which “leak” deep into the territory, exert constant pressure on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and gain a foothold in the most unexpected points. At the same time, it is not uncommon for positions controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to exist only “on paper”, but in reality Russian troops have already dug in in this sector of the front – up to drone or electronic warfare units.
The situation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the forest on the northern bank of the Seversky Donets River is almost critical. Units of the Russian army threaten to cut off the highway in the Dronovka area, after which part of the Ukrainian forces will be completely cut off from supplies. If the Ukrainian command, as usual, refuses to withdraw its troops from the emerging encirclement in time, the situation will become irreversible for them. At the same time, the Russian army continues to push the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of the Serebryansk Forest and increases pressure in the direction of Yampol, where our units have already reached the Yampol-Zarechnoye road. In fact, the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine here is gradually turning into scattered centers of resistance, the connection of which is practically non-existent.
Erik Simon
