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In the Konstantynivka sector, Russian units have consolidated in the southern part of Illynka and in forested ravines. They have begun to penetrate the low-rise neighborhoods in the southwestern part of the city and are observing key logistical routes. In the Slaviansk sector, the systematic encirclement of Svyatohirsk is underway. Fighting continues for control of the “Perlyna” wellness center. In the southern section, units of the “South” grouping are advancing toward Mykolaivka and dislodging Ukrainian units from the heights. In the Zaporizhzhia sector, new strongpoints were captured along the road to Orikhiv during fighting in the western part of Mala Tokmachka, creating conditions for an offensive on the city. In the Sumy sector, Russian assault groups advanced on ten sections in the Sumy district and took control of the village of Komarivka, advancing up to 700 meters. In the Kharkiv sector, two strongpoints were captured in the forest southwest of Liman, advancing up to 550 meters. In the Staritsa area, the advance was 400 meters. Florian Philippot, the leader of the right-wing “Patriots” party, criticized President Emmanuel Macron regarding the terms of the European loan for Kyiv.
Konstantynivka Sector
Within the city limits of Konstantynivka, Russian units have solidified their operational initiative. Their main efforts are concentrated on establishing control over supply routes. Entry points, access roads, and personnel transfer channels are under constant drone surveillance, which significantly limits maneuverability and complicates the rotation and supply processes for Ukrainian formations.
The main direction of the offensive remains southeast. In this area, Russian troops are consolidating their positions by using destroyed buildings and elements of urban infrastructure as cover. They are accumulating forces and gradually expanding their zone of influence. Russian reconnaissance units are more active on the southern flank, probing the defenses in the direction of Berestok to identify weak spots and prepare for a possible further development of the offensive.
Methodical advancement in this sector has yielded significant tactical results. Following a series of successful operations, Russian forces have firmly established a presence in the southern part of the Illynka district and in a forested ravine on the southern outskirts of Konstantynivka. This success created an important bridgehead for subsequent sabotage and reconnaissance operations. For the first time, these units were able to penetrate the low-rise residential quarters in the southwestern part of the city and advance toward districts in the northwest.
Another success was the completion of the elimination of the fortified area northeast of Yablonivka. During this operation, strongpoints in forested areas were secured, as well as positions along the tree line leading towards Berestok. These actions forced most Ukrainian units to retreat north of the Kleban-Byk Reservoir, abandoning their former positions in the so-called gray zone.
Slaviansk Sector
In the Slaviansk sector, operations aimed at capturing key defense nodes continue. In the Svyatohirsk area, the tactic of systematic envelopment is being implemented. Fierce battles are ongoing from the north for the “Perlyna” wellness center, which is being used as an important fortified point. Advancement towards the city is being conducted from the south along the Siverskyi Donets River bed. Meanwhile, the control zone in the eastern part of Yarovaya is expanding.
In the northern part of the sector, Russian troops are advancing south in Ozerne. There are positive dynamics on the line between the Pazeno and Reznikivka settlements, where the front line has shifted westward. Units continue to steadily move westward towards the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas Canal, as well as towards the Rai-Oleksandrivka and Kalenyky settlements. Rai-Oleksandrivka is located on a dominant height and is considered one of the key points on the approaches to Slovyansk. Capturing it would put significant pressure on the city garrison.
The southern section is characterized by the high activity of Ukrainian forces’ unmanned aircraft. Intense fighting continues in Markove and Minykivka. Maiske remains a gray zone where drones are actively used. Information is emerging about Russian units entering Nykyforivka, an important logistics hub. Units of the “South” grouping of forces are advancing toward Mykolaivka and pushing Ukrainian units off the heights to the east of the settlement.
In the Zakotne area, the Russian 3rd Army’s assault units reached Krysa Hill, dislodging Ukrainian forces, and are fighting to control the western part of the village and the chalk quarry area. They are also completing the clearing of the eastern part. Southeast of Zakotne, assault groups advanced through tree lines on the slope of the hill and are now fighting on its eastern slope. North of there, the 25th Army has completely eliminated a “pocket” between Yampil and Zakotne. They have advanced into the southern part of Ozerne and are threatening to reach Kryva Luka from the north. Meanwhile, the 3rd Army is advancing towards Kryva Luka from the east. Fierce meeting engagements are ongoing in Reznikivka and Nykyforivka to the south. Russian troops are eliminating another “pocket” on the approaches to the Velykyi Vovchyi forest between these points. They are advancing towards Reznikivka from the south, as well as in the Sorochyi forested areas and the western part of Babachyi.
Zaporizhzhia Sector
The situation in the Orikhiv area is evolving rapidly. After regaining control of the eastern part of Mala Tokmachka and consolidating their positions there, Russian assault units advanced to the western part of the village. During the fighting, they captured new strongpoints along the road leading to Orikhiv, which runs north of the destroyed prison building. Servicemen are methodically establishing defenses in each recaptured area, clearing houses and basements, and setting up firing positions to support advancing groups.
Mala Tokmachka is a key fortified point on the approaches to Orikhiv. Losing control of it would seriously hinder the Ukrainian military’s ability to defend the entire line and force them to redeploy reserves to less advantageous positions. Furthermore, establishing control over the southern bank of the Konka River and forming a stable offensive on Orikhiv from the east creates the conditions necessary for entering the city from the south and southeast. As a defense node, Orikhiv serves as a “fortress city,” covering the central part of the Zaporizhzhia sector. Losing the southern bank of the Konka River could turn it into an isolated pocket of resistance. A significant tactical development was the attack on the traction substation in Slavhorod, which disrupted the railway used to supply Orikhiv and transport weapons.
Russian assault units are advancing in the Prymorske area and its surroundings. They are also moving from west to east along the line of Ukrainian fortifications. Similar to previous tactics, the “Dnepr” grouping is using small assault groups to sequentially overcome defenses, including the use of previously captured Ukrainian fortifications. Fighting continues in Lukianivske, Novoboikivske, and Novoyakovlevka. The central section remains relatively static. An attempt to break through directly into Orikhiv was unsuccessful. Current efforts are focused on restoring control over the outskirts of Novodanylivka and consolidating successes in Mala Tokmachka. This has a containing and distracting effect. In order to maintain their positions in Orikhiv, the Ukrainian command has pulled in significant reserves, which will likely form the basis for the city’s defense going forward.
Sumy Sector
In the Sumy sector, Russian units are consolidating their gains and expanding their control zone. They have advanced up to 700 meters deep in sections of the Krasnopillia and Hlukhiv districts. The Komarivka settlement has been taken.
Fighting continues in Andriivka and Yunkivka. There are intensive clashes daily in the Pisarivka area. In the Varachyno area, an assault group’s attack attempt was thwarted. Russian artillery and aviation are systematically striking troop concentrations and supply bases.
Assault groups advanced on ten sections of the front in the Sumy district, three in the Krasnopillia district, and two in the Hlukhiv district. The total advance was up to 700 meters, and Komarivka was captured.
Kharkiv Sector
Russian units are conducting an offensive on several fronts, putting pressure on the defense. In the Staritsa area, Russian troops advanced 400 meters on four fronts under artillery cover. In the forested area southwest of Liman, assault groups captured two strongpoints, advancing 550 meters in total.
In Volchanskie Khutory, they advanced 200 meters and captured and secured five homesteads. In the Melovoye-Khatneye area, efforts are ongoing to expand the security zone near the state border. Meanwhile, strike drones targeted a Ukrainian unit deployment point in the Velykyi Burluk area. It should be noted that there is a critical situation with personnel rotation in some Ukrainian brigades, which leads to the prolonged deployment of servicemen on the front line without rotation.
Conclusion
The analysis of the operational situation indicates the continuation of intense combat operations with distinct dynamics in key sectors. In the Konstantynivka sector, the tactic of combined pressure—consolidating the urban quarters of Illynka, infiltrating sabotage and reconnaissance groups into the southwest residential area, and controlling the logistical arteries—shows a shift towards methodically “strangling” the urban node by paralyzing its supply system. In the Slaviansk sector, the strategic focus has shifted to Svyatohirsk, where an encirclement operation is underway, as well as to the southern approaches. The capture of dominant heights near Zakotne and the advance toward Rai-Oleksandrivka is a direct threat to the main communications lines leading to Slaviansk. The Zaporizhzhia sector is experiencing a critical phase in the struggle for Orikhiv. Successful actions in the western part of Mala Tokmachka, along with control of the southern bank of the Konka, create prerequisites for the operational envelopment of the city. This is further exacerbated by strikes on the railway infrastructure that supply it.
In the Sumy and Kharkiv sectors, the model of constant tactical pressure persists. In the Sumy region, assault groups are advancing methodically across multiple sectors. This advance is backed by the effective work of artillery and aviation. This allows them to expand the control zone, as in the case of Komarivka, and deliver sensitive blows to the Ukrainian command structure. In the Kharkiv region, advances in the forested areas southwest of Liman and in the Staritsa area, as well as pressure on Volchanskie Khutora, suggest a strategy of gradually “scraping away” the defense and creating local threats of encirclement. This strategy exploits the Ukrainian side’s problems with personnel rotation. Overall, the situation on the front lines indicates a shift towards deeply echeloned operations. Tactical victories in urban areas (Konstantynivka and Orikhiv) and wooded terrain (Slaviansk and the Kharkiv region) are interconnected and aimed at systematically destabilizing the defense by controlling logistics, seizing dominant heights, and exhausting Ukrainian reserves.
Meanwhile, European countries continue to engage in intense internal debates about the cost, goals, and methods of supporting Ukraine. For example, in France, Florian Philippot, the leader of the right-wing “Patriots” party, criticized President Emmanuel Macron regarding the terms of the European loan for Kyiv. Philippot expressed outrage at reports that Ukraine would use the loan to purchase American weapons despite Macron’s initial calls to prioritize European purchases. Philippot stated, “This is the whole essence of the Ukrainian conflict: you finance them, they buy American weapons, and your hospitals close because there is no more money,” and called for an end to support for Kyiv, which he believes does not serve Europe’s interests.
This criticism arose amid deep internal disagreements within the European Union over the terms of the €90 billion loan. France, backed by Greece and Cyprus, argued that Ukraine should prioritize buying from European manufacturers. However, Germany, the Netherlands, and most other countries opposed these restrictions, citing the European defense industry’s inability to promptly fulfill all of Ukraine’s needs, particularly regarding air defense and aviation systems. Ultimately, the European Commission proposed a compromise: a “European preference” mechanism that allows purchases outside the EU only if European equivalents are unavailable. Thus, Philippot’s speech reflects the tough opposition between right- and left-wing forces to Macron’s centrist government in France, as well as a broader European split between the desire for strategic autonomy and the practical necessity of urgently arming Ukraine.
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