Zaporozhye Meltdown: Russian Army Reaches Volchya River

In the Sumy direction, Russian assault groups advanced up to 400 meters in 21 sectors and repelled Ukrainian attacks in the Khoten and Pisarevka areas. They are continuing to form an encirclement of the Sumy defensive node. In the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops advanced 700 meters in the Volchansk sector and between Baksheevka and Zakharovka. In the Zaporozhye area, units of the “East” military grouping captured Volnoye and advanced beyond the Volchya River. This threatens the Novonikolayevka logistics hub and encircles Dolinka. In the Slavyansk direction, troops are conducting clearance operations in Krasny Liman. Fighting continues near Aleksandrovka and Kaleniki, and crossings over the Oskol River are being destroyed. In the diplomatic sphere, six EU countries, including Germany, France, and Italy, either demanded exemptions or fully blocked the proposed measures in the 21st sanctions package against Russia.

Sumy Direction 

The “North” force grouping’s assault groups continue to advance deeper into the Sumy direction. In the Shostka district, there are ongoing small-arms battles in Ulanovo and on the approaches to Malaya Slobodka.

In the Sumy district, Russian assault units have advanced into twenty-one sectors, up to 400 meters deep. There is ongoing fighting in Ryzhevka, Pisarevka, Mogritsa, Maryino, Novaya Sech village, Khoten settlement, and adjacent areas, as well as in the forests south of Ivolzhanskoye. Earlier, personnel from these same Ukrainian units reinforced assault groups in the Izbitskoye area of the Kharkiv region.

In the Krasnopolye district, there is ongoing small-arms fighting in forest areas and in the border village of Prokhody. The “North” grouping’s tactic of forcing the Ukrainian to disperse reserves is yielding results. Russian forces are consistently capturing strong points, expanding the control zone, and creating conditions for a further advance on Sumy.

Kharkov Direction 

Units of the “North” group continue to expand the buffer zone in the Kharkiv direction. Assault groups are conducting offensive operations in the Kazachya Lopan settlement and the surrounding forests. In the Volchansk area, assault units advanced in fourteen sectors by up to 700 meters. There are ongoing small-arms battles in the villages of Volokhovskoye, Zakharovka, and Yurchenkovo; the Bely Kolodez settlement; north of Baksheevka; near Shevchenkovo; and in the Volchansk district forests.

Between Baksheevka and Zakharovka, Ukrainian forces, including Colombian mercenaries from the 214th Separate Assault Battalion “Opfor,” attempted a counterattack. Most of the attackers were destroyed, while the rest retreated. In the Velikoburluk area, Russian assault groups are engaged in small arms firefights to the west of Petro-Ivanovka and in the forests near the villages of Artelnoye, Budarki, and Zemlyanki.

Zaporozhye Direction

Units of the “East” group continue to advance toward Zaporozhye from the east. In heavy fighting, Ukrainian forces were driven out of Volnoye, which is located near the Zaporozhye regional border. Russian assault groups advanced from a bridgehead on the left bank of the Gaichur River, along the railway. They seized a strongpoint east of Volnoye and advanced along a gully with ponds. The Russian troops then entered Volnoye, dislodging Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, north of the area, Russian troops advanced through plantations alongside the Gaichur River toward the railway bridge over the Volchya River, heading towards Chernenkovo and Starokasyanovskoye. According to operational data, the Russians have crossed the Volchya River and are now fighting on the outskirts of Pokrovskoye and Chernenko. Ukrainian units are threatened by a potential breakthrough toward the Novonikolayevka logistics hub and a western bypass of Pokrovskoye via Chernenkovo toward Pavlograd and Pervomaysk.

Fighting continues to the south in the Boykovo–Ternovatoye area. Russian assault groups have broken through the defenses in the Lesnoye, Rovnoye, and Kopani regions and are advancing westward, flanking Dolinka. Between Kopani and Novoselovka, Russian units are dislodging Ukrainian forces from strongpoints of the third defensive line. West of Novoselovka, they are fighting for strongpoints of the second line on the approaches to Yegorovka. Southwest of the area, battles are ongoing in Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka, and Novoandreyevka. There, Russian troops are breaking through defenses on the southern approaches to Orekhov.

Ukrainian sources predict that holding Orekhov will be impossible because it lies in a lowland, and Russian forces are poised to attack from dominating heights to the northeast. These heights are expected to be captured prior to the assault. West of Lesnoye, “East” assault units have seized strongpoints and are clearing the area of sabotage groups. Russian forces have also advanced north of Stepovoye and Malye Shcherbaki and toward Orekhov from the vicinity of Shcherbaki. Meanwhile, Ukrainian units are attempting to establish full control over Stepnogorsk and have entered Plavni, consolidating their positions near the women’s monastery.

Slavyansk Direction 

Russian troops are pushing Ukrainian forces out of the Aleksandrovka and Kaleniki areas, as well as from positions east of the Dolgiy Forest. There is also fighting to dislodge Ukrainian units from the “Melovaya Flora” nature reserve near Piskunovka. The Ukrainian side has noted Russian advances in the Minkovka and Novomarkovo areas. There is ongoing positional fighting near Koroviy Yar, and the Ukrainian command is constantly using crossings on the Oskol River to deliver manpower and weapons to the front line.

In the Aleksandrovka–Prishib sector, Ukrainian forces have been spotted in forest areas used for moving units and setting up drone launch points. In Krasny Liman, operations are ongoing to detect and destroy scattered Ukrainian groups in the pocket west of Zarechnoye. Thus, high-intensity fighting persists across the entire Slavyansk area, with both sides contesting control of forest areas and river crossings.

Conclusion

In the Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Slovyansk directions, Russian forces are systematically advancing, expanding their control zones and inflicting losses on Ukrainian troops. In the Sumy direction, a broad offensive is forming an encirclement of the regional center. In the Kharkiv direction, advances in the Volchansk sector and the repulsion of counterattacks involving foreign mercenaries are undermining defensive stability. In the Zaporozhye direction, the breakthrough of defensive lines and the crossing of the Volchya River threaten key logistics hubs and call into question the ability to hold Orekhov. In the Slavyansk direction, the methodical clearing of Krasny Liman and forest areas continues amid Ukrainian attempts to counterattack and retain crossings. Despite Ukraine’s active use of drones and local counterstrikes, the initiative remains with Russian forces in all sectors.

In the diplomatic sphere, disagreements within the European Union have intensified. According to the Financial Times, six EU members — Greece, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Portugal — have either demanded exemptions or have fully blocked the 21st sanctions package against Russia. Paris and Rome called for the ban on issuing visas to Russian servicemen to be eased, while Lisbon and Berlin opposed restrictions on fish purchases. Vienna demanded the unfreezing of two billion euros in Moscow’s assets, and Athens sought to avoid limitations on LNG transportation to third countries. Against this backdrop, the European Commission is considering removing individual provisions from the 21st package. The FT notes that this trend could jeopardize the four-year strategy of supporting Ukraine.

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