At the moment the grey mass of radio static gives way to a clear image on the drone detector screen, the hunter still seems deceptively far away. Looking down on the central neighbourhood of Kherson...

"There are no 'protected areas' for Russian military facilities," a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.

A 28-year-old Brazilian recruit died after a brutal punishment handed out in a unit that regularly used discipline practices described as "torture" by those who both witnessed and suffered them, a Kyi...

Ukraine is still mourning Lana Chornohorska, a 26-year-old drone pilot beloved by many as a "catalyst" in art and cultural activism who never seemed to run out of energy. Chornohorska, who went by he...

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is prepared to ensure President Volodymyr Zelensky's security.

YouTube video by NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade

One reason was the weather and frost, but last year they didn't stop the Russian forces and didn't prevent them from capturing over 500 square kilometers in January and February. There's a noticeable shortage of qualified resources among Russian forces on the front.Huliaipole crisis deepensFor example, after a 10-kilometer breakthrough in the Huliaipole direction, the Russian army threw significantly more forces here to develop their success. While in 2024, 4% of all battles took place on the Zaporizhzhia front, in January it was as high as 23%. This direction became the second most intense after Pokrovsk by a wide margin, but both there and here, the front has practically frozen.Very heavy fighting took place in the center of Huliaipole. Russian forces broke through to the central streets of this small town. After Russian forces previously punched a corridor from the southern part of the town and then forced the Haichur River from the north as well, Ukrainian defenders found themselves in a very precarious position. As a result, they were forced to withdraw to the western part of the town. Moreover, the spread of Russian assault operations has already reached Zaliznychne and Staroukrainka, west of Huliaipole. This threatens a breakthrough into the rear of two defensive lines at once. Further Russian advancement along the road to Huliaipole will collapse Ukrainian defenses in the Myrne and Mala Tokmachka area and allow them to reach the near approaches to Orikhiv. In parallel, Russian forces intensified their offensive from the south near Bilohiria; so far their advancement here is insignificant, but this is a dangerous trend. In addition, from Zaliznychne, Russian forces will most likely attempt to break through to Verkhnia Tersa to gain the opportunity to outflank Ukrainian defenders holding defensive redoubts running along the right bank of the Haichur northward to the fortified area in Ternovate. That's why holding Huliaipole as long as possible and preventing a breakthrough to Zaliznychne and beyond is extremely important and gives Ukraine time to prepare new defensive nodes.Meanwhile, the Russian army is making another attempt to break through Ukrainian defensive lines, attacking head-on in the Pryluky and Varvarivka area. Here, small groups of assault troops forced the river, passed through Pryluky, and reached Ukrainian positions that were manned only by drone pilots. Russian forces briefly captured these positions, but later servicemen from the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade eliminated them. Similar breakthroughs were eliminated in Zelene and Staroukrainka. However, this is a very telling fact showing that no matter how well defensive positions are built, without personnel they become easy prey for Russian forces.Battle for Sloviansk and KostiantynivkaThe third most intense fighting area became the combined front where the Russian army is trying to envelop both Kostiantynivka and Sloviansk from the flanks—the last major urban agglomeration controlled by Ukraine. Obviously, the battle for it will continue for a very long time, probably years, but the vectors of Russian assault operations indicate the direction in which future combat operations will develop.In January, there were not many territorial changes here, but there are several dangerous trends. South of Kostiantynivka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reliably hold defenses in the area of the Kleban-Byk reservoir and Pleshchiivka, so Russian forces are trying to break through from the sides. In particular, from the right flank, they continuously attack north of Shakhove toward Sofiivka and Rusynyi Yar. And although they made no progress between Dobropillia and Kostiantynivka, unfortunately they occupied part of Shakhove and advanced along the road toward Nove Shakhove and Dobropillia. Back in October and November, Ukrainian defenders liberated these territories as part of eliminating the breakthrough toward Dobropillia. Now Russian forces are gradually recapturing them again.However, what's more dangerous is that a certain number of assault troops managed to bypass Ukrainian defensive redoubts and reach from Yablunivka to Berestok and Illinivka, which is practically a suburb of Kostiantynivka. Yes, currently the Ukrainian Armed Forces ensured they only got a one-way trip, but there will be others. So this hole in the defense needs to be closed quickly.From the left flank, daily assaults on the outskirts of Kostiantynivka from Oleksandro-Shultyne continue. But as long as the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold positions in Stupochky and Predtechyne, these attacks don't pose a critical threat and are rather a good way of attriting Russian forces.In Chasiv Yar, servicemen of the 24th Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo reliably cover the Kostiantynivka rear. However, Russian forces are looking for gaps between brigades to squeeze through to the town from the east. In January, along a 10-km stretch of the front, they expanded their control zone by advancing less than a kilometer westward. This occurred north of Chasiv Yar in the area of Maiske and Novomarkove villages. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders conducted a local counteroffensive and recaptured another village from Russian forces—Markove. For now, the eastern flank is less of a priority for Russian forces than the western one, but here too they constantly try to improve their positions before beginning a large-scale offensive on Kostiantynivka, which will begin soon.Meanwhile, on the Sloviansk front, Russian forces continue a slow but relentless advance along both banks of the Siverskyi Donets. After withdrawing from Siversk, Ukrainian defenders held positions in Svyato-Pokrovsk, but Russian forces first drove a wedge from the south, advancing from Kuzmynivka, and in January occupied the heights north of the village. As a result, Ukrainian troops, squeezed from both sides, will probably gradually withdraw from Svyato-Pokrovsk. With the onset of frost, Russian forces increased the number of attempts to force the Siverskyi Donets in the area between Dronivka and Zakitne. However, as long as the Ukrainian Armed Forces maintain control over Yampil, all such intentions fail.On the other hand, frost makes it easier to cross small rivers. Such as, for example, the Netrius, which for a long time helped form the front north of Lyman. However, in recent days Russian forces managed to cross it in several places and expanded their control zone, as well as the gray zone in the area of Serednie and Shandryholove villages. Russian forces gained the opportunity to seep into the huge forest massif surrounding Sviatohirsk. Their assault troops were spotted in Sosnove and Yarova. Spotted and destroyed. Obviously, through massive penetration into the forest, Russian forces want to cut one of the important roads to Lyman and then advance toward Drobysheve to be able to attack Lyman from three sides.Front in Sumy region comes alive againAfter the failure in Kupiansk, Russian generals want to show at least some result, and therefore somewhat increased activity in Vovchansk and the Sumy region. In late December and January, Russian forces attacked in two directions from Oleksiivka. From the right flank, they advanced 3 km south and occupied the villages of Varachyne and Novomykolaivka. And from the left, they recaptured Andriivka and advanced further south toward the highway to Sumy. To reach the outskirts of the regional center, Russian drones now need to cover less than 20 km. It's worth noting that in a year of fairly intense fighting, Russian forces penetrated 7 km deep into Ukraine from the border. Obviously, they want to further destabilize the Sumy region and get even closer to the regional center. However, these are only plans that very often fall apart for Russia. As recently, Ukrainians finally buried the long-standing Russian mythology built around victory in World War II. "We can repeat it"—Russian forces kept saying, frightening the whole world, and especially Europe. On January 11, the Russian-Ukrainian war equaled in duration the Soviet-German war of 1941-45. But in terms of results, it is an absolute failure and will become the foundation for the end of the modern Russian empire. Everyone has already seen—they can't repeat anything.The maps are created based on information obtained from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ General Staff, as well as from other open and verified sources. At the same time, the maps are not maximally accurate and only conditionally reflect trends in the combat zone.

"Where is their condemnation of the fact that our children are being bombed and people are being killed all this time? I don't hear India, frankly, nor the United Arab Emirates," President Volodymyr Z...

Russia has thrived on lies for centuries; its undoing will come when truth proves more powerful than the fictions it desperately spins

Huliaipole front remains unstableAfter a slight decrease in combat intensity related to the Russian forces' need to straighten the front line and receive reinforcements, the Russians once again rushed to storm Huliaipole from three directions. One of the most critical was the offensive from the south from Marfopil, where the Russian troops already had a bridgehead on the right bank of the Haichur River. This meant they didn't need to cross the river to breach Ukrainian defenses and enter the southern outskirts of the city, and then push further toward the central districts. Simultaneously, advancing from the left bank of the river, Russian forces not only occupied this entire part of Huliaipole but also gained the ability to cross the river in many places. Battles are currently ongoing for the entire southeastern part of the city, which has found itself caught in a pincer of Russian attacks. However, further north, the Ukrainian Defense Forces control all central districts, holding the front line along the river.Meanwhile, the Russian forces are attempting to advance along a broad front toward the Huliaipole-Pokrovske highway to gain the opportunity to advance on the city from the north as well. The highway is completely under Russian fire control, and their assault groups are regularly destroyed on the approaches to Varvarivka and Dobropillia—villages located along the road. Most likely, Ukrainian fighters will soon withdraw from these villages to the hills that rise on the right bank of the Haichur. However, it won't be easy for the Russians to establish themselves in Varvarivka and Dobropillia, since attacking from the lowlands, they're exposed as if on an open palm.Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad will either fall together or stand togetherThe Ukrainian Defense Forces in both cities depend on each other. If northern Pokrovsk falls, then Myrnohrad won't be able to hold out for long, and vice versa. In Myrnohrad, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have established a circular defense in the central districts, which the Russians cannot yet infiltrate. However, supply problems are taking their toll and will be the determining factor in how long the city remains under Ukrainian control. Currently, Myrnohrad is in a complete ring of fire, and supplies are delivered in limited quantities, mainly by drones.In Pokrovsk, Russian forces are attacking the northern districts along three directions: flanking strikes on Hryshyne and Rivne, as well as a frontal assault on districts near the dinas plant. Here, Russian forces managed to cross the main road from Pokrovsk to Myrnohrad, along which the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the front line. In addition, Putin's assault groups have pushed even further and expanded the gray zone south of Rodynske, thereby further complicating logistics to the cities.On the Dobropillia axis, Russian forces are actively pushing through across the Kazennyi Torets River using mechanized components and making incursions into Shakhove. The southern part of the village has gradually come under their control, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the rest of Shakhove and prevent unimpeded river crossings by destroying Russian armored vehicles. In the area of Zapovidne and Maiak, Russian forces have expanded their zone of control and are using this bridgehead to advance toward Dorozhnie. However, the river combined with Ukrainian drones still remains an uncomfortable barrier that prevents the Russians from accumulating sufficient resources for a full-scale offensive.Without deploying additional Defense Forces resources here, it's impossible to even plan the deblockade of Myrnohrad from the direction of Rodynske and Chervonyi Lyman.But these same resources are also needed to stabilize the situation on the Sloviansk axis.Domino effect on the Siversk frontThe Ukrainian Armed Forces have almost withdrawn from Siversk to the heights behind the city. Although Ukrainian drones maintain the front line along the Bakhmutka River, which flows through the middle of the fortress that held back the advance on Sloviansk for three years. However, from the north and south, the Russians are trying to wedge into Ukrainian defensive positions. In recent days, they finally occupied Serebrianka and expanded their zone of control toward Dronivka. Simultaneously, Russian forces are advancing from Yampil toward Zakitne. Thus, Ukrainian positions that ended up north of Siversk could find themselves in a very difficult situation. Especially if the front line continues to move west from Siversk. The prerequisite for this could be a Russian breakthrough near Sviato-Pokrovsk, where they are attempting to storm Ukrainian positions on the heights. It was this breakthrough that prompted the Ukrainian Armed Forces' withdrawal from many positions south of Siversk, where, in particular, the Russians not only occupied Vyimka, Pereizne, and Fedorivka but are also making another attempt to climb the heights in the area of Pazyno village. However, they haven't managed to establish themselves there yet. Breaking through and advancing along these heights threatens the collapse of Ukrainian defenses along a fairly significant section of the front from Chasiv Yar to the Siverskyi Donets, which is on the outskirts of Sloviansk. And this would mean the beginning of an offensive on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.Kupiansk almost liberatedWhile Putin announces the encirclement of 3,500 Ukrainian troops in Kupiansk, his henchmen are trying with all their might to somehow justify these claims and are constantly storming the northern outskirts of Kupiansk from the bridgehead near Dvorichna. They are doing poorly at this. They lack the resources they had previously accumulated over more than six months. For a new assault on the city, they will have to wait at least as long again. Especially since the Russian Armed Forces have no free resources, as all are engaged on other, equally hot fronts.Accordingly, the current situation will cause a halt to the offensive along the entire border in the Kharkiv region. The Russians lack the forces to finally occupy Vovchansk or advance further in the area of Odradne or Dvorichna, not to mention plans to create a multi-kilometer demilitarized zone along the entire border. As they planned after capturing Kupiansk.At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to clear a significant part of the city's central districts in a week. Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi stated that the city is 90% liberated. Fighters on the ground speak of 75-80%, but in any case, the trends indicate that in a couple of weeks, Putin will have to invent some new lies about Ukrainian Armed Forces' atrocities. Perhaps they will drop a large number of bombs on the city to justify its loss and cover up their führer's embarrassment in the media. But already now, the Kupiansk operation has provided Ukraine with a strategic advantage, demonstrating the ability to defeat a numerically superior enemy on the battlefield through quality and motivation.The maps were created based on information received from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ General Staff, as well as from other open and verified sources. At the same time, the maps are not maximally accurate and only conditionally reflect trends in the combat zone.

YouTube video by Freeonis [ENG SUB]

The Black Sea Has No Safe Harbor Left for Russia

Ukrainian Armed Forces Reserve Major General Volodymyr Havrylov stated this on Espreso TV."It's obvious that Russia is on the brink of collapse. And this moment can be accelerated by constant strikes against the enemy on the ground. Not through advances by Ukraine's Defense Forces—that is, offensive operations where we could lose many people—but specifically by inflicting losses on the Russians so they feel it and know it cannot be stopped. This reality cannot be stopped by propaganda, because reports of people's deaths are heard every day in villages and towns across the Russian Federation," Havrylov said.According to the general, since 2014, the Russians have demonstrated creativity and managed to sustain their economy under sanctions. However, there is always a limit to what can be done, and the collapse of their economy is inevitable."Sooner or later, Russia's enormous losses at the front and sanctions against their economy will produce results. When? I would like to see statistics on their economic situation based on the results of 2025. As soon as we see the 7 trillion ruble deficit that experts have predicted, that's it. That will mean the end. How long this entire collapse of their economy will take is hard to say. They are indeed very creative at surviving within their country, as they've been doing this for almost 10 years. However, there is always a limit to what can be done," he added.