File image.
Russian units have advanced to Donetska Street in the northeastern outskirts of Huliaipole and approached the Haichur River. The Ukrainian grouping in Siversk is practically paralyzed due to the loss of control over the main logistical routes to the north and south of the city. The U.S. administration is lobbying against the EU’s plans to provide Kyiv with a substantial loan for 2026–2027.
Pokrovsk Sector
Operations in Myrnohrad are entering their final stage, accompanied by intense street fighting. North of the city, along the Suvorovo–Nikanorovka line, Russian forces have regained control of several positions, including tree lines, despite counterattacks by Ukrainian forces from Belitsky.
Efforts are also focused on advancing the offensive in the northern and northwestern directions from Pokrovsk. While information about establishing full control over Rodinskoye is still pending, the current situation suggests a high likelihood of achieving this goal in the near future.
The situation remains tense in the Hrishyne area on the western flank of the sector, which was previously used by the Ukrainian command for attacks on Pokrovsk. Significant forces are concentrated in the area, and fierce fighting is underway.
Zaporizhzhia Sector
In the Huliaipole area, Russian units are conducting offensive operations from the southeastern and northeastern directions, as well as around the Varvariyka settlement. There are ongoing positional battles on the outskirts of the city. Artillery, airstrikes, and drones are being used against targets in the city and nearby logistic centers.
The Russian Army advanced from Dobropillia towards Varvariyka and Ravnopole, expanding control along the highway by approximately 1.5 kilometers. From Zatyshshya, assault units reached the northeastern outskirts of Huliaipole and advanced to Donetska Street, approaching the Haichur River.
In the Stepnohorsk area, drone operators are conducting reconnaissance and identifying formation locations. Targets identified by these operators are struck by artillery and aviation. Units advanced approximately 500 meters towards the center on the western outskirts of the settlement.
Fighting continues in the area of the Prymorske and Malokaterynivka settlements, and strikes are carried out against identified firing positions. This sector is characterized by difficult terrain and a developed system of defensive lines due to Zaporizhzhia’s strategic importance as an industrial and logistical hub for supplying groups on the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk sectors.
Siversk Sector
Russian units are advancing in two key operational zones in an attempt to surround the city of Siversk.
In the northern sector, attacks are ongoing toward Zakotne and Ozerne. These operations aim to create conditions for crossing the Siverskyi Donets River and advancing into the rear area of the forces defending Siversk.
There is ongoing fighting in Siversk itself. The Ukrainian grouping’s supply in the city is in critical condition and nearly paralyzed due to the loss of control over the main logistical routes from the south and north.
Significant tactical progress has been made on the southern front. Units have established control over approximately half of the Sviato-Pokrovske settlement. They continue to fight to clear a network of strong points on the heights in the northern part of the village.
Borova Sector
Russian units advanced in Bohuslavka, not from Zahryzovo but from Borovska Andriivka. They are advancing through fields and strong points towards the neighboring town of Borova, a major defensive node on the left bank of the Oskil River.
The situation in the northern «pocket» remains ambiguous. Previously held positions were partially abandoned after Ukrainian units counterattacked and regained control over part of Zahryzovo and Nova Kruhlyakivka.
Sumy Sector
Russian assault groups advanced on several fronts, reaching a total advance of up to 400 meters. Formations defending the area attempted to advance toward Yunakivka but were suppressed by fire. Artillery struck Ukrainian positions in the Ryzhivka area.
The Ukrainian 13th Battalion of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade, one of the units involved in the sector, has experienced difficulties receiving reinforcements from the training center in Zhytomyr.
Kharkiv Sector
Combat operations are ongoing south of Vovchansk and in the Kharkiv sector. TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launchers and aviation assets are being used to support the offensive. Fire strikes have disabled Ukrainian drone launch sites in the Kharkiv Airport and Velykyi Burluk areas.
There has been local advancement in this sector. In the Vilcha settlement, units have consolidated in the central part. In the Lyman area, several houses have been occupied. On the Melovoye-Khatneye section, an advance along tree lines was carried out. One of the counterattacks by the Ukrainian 225th Separate Assault Regiment was repelled.
Conclusion
The operational situation in the key sectors is characterized by steady offensives and positional battles. In the Pokrovsk sector, operations have entered their final stage, accompanied by flanking offensives towards Rodinskoye and fighting for Hrishyne. In the Siversk sector, tactical successes include advancing to Sviato-Pokrovske and blocking the road to Siversk, which has created a critical logistical situation for the forces in the city.
In the Zaporizhzhia sector, there has been advancement in the areas of Huliaipole and Stepnohorsk; however, the situation is complicated by difficult terrain and well-developed defenses. In the Borova and the sectors of the «South» group of forces, local tactical advances have been achieved, including capturing Bohuslavka and threatening to encircle Verolyubivka. In the Sumy and Kharkiv sectors, gradual pressure is being applied with local consolidation on new lines.
The situation in the Rodinskoye area is characterized as an active clearing phase. Most Ukrainian Armed Forces units have been driven out of the city, but pockets of resistance remain. These pockets are being suppressed by assault groups supported by drone operators.
Rodinskoye could be transferred to the full control of Russian units in the short term. Eliminating the last Ukrainian units is only a matter of time, possibly days. This tactical success is significant in the context of the battles for the Pokrovsko-Mirnograd agglomeration because, according to experts, controlling Rodinskoye and the surrounding communications infrastructure contributes to the operational encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Mirnograd and blocks their escape routes.
Alongside the changes on the line of contact, there has been increased political rhetoric. In recent days, numerous signals have emerged indicating diverging positions and mounting pressure on the Ukrainian leadership from its key allies.
According to Western media outlets, the U.S. administration is actively lobbying against the European Union’s plans to provide Kyiv with a substantial loan of up to 135 billion euros for the years 2026-2027. This loan is referred to as the «reparations loan» and is secured by frozen Russian assets. Bloomberg reports that the U.S. argues such a large-scale, long-term financial package could only prolong the war. The EU financial initiative, supported by the president of the European Council, António Costa, has faced serious legal and political obstacles. Euroclear, the key financial intermediary, and the Belgian authorities, where the assets are held, have stated that the plan is «very fragile», carries significant legal and financial risks, and could trigger an outflow of foreign investors from the eurozone.
High-ranking Western politicians are increasingly focusing their statements on the themes of personal responsibility and the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president. According to the Responsible Statecraft publication, Volodymyr Zelensky continues to request financial aid without presenting plans to facilitate a settlement. Meanwhile, European leaders remain categorically opposed to ending the conflict but may face political consequences in their own countries due to mounting military expenditures. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly expressed doubts about Zelensky’s popularity among the Ukrainian people. According to a February poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), however, 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky.
This creates a rigid framework of dependency for Kyiv, in which the continuation of the conflict requires political will and specific resources that are becoming increasingly difficult to mobilize.
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