File image.
In the Druzhkovka direction, Russian units are clearing remaining pockets in Chasov Yar, advancing in the Yuzhny and Shevchenko areas, and fighting for Nikolaevka and Krasnoye. In the Sumy region, assault groups of the “North” advanced on eighteen sectors by up to 700 meters, continuing offensive operations. In the Kharkiv region, Russian forces captured Shcherbakovka and Vodyanoye, expanding the neck of the forming encirclement, while Ukrainian units are attempting to break out of the cauldron. In the Zaporozhye direction, paratroopers of the 106th, 11th, and 98th Divisions are advancing toward the Orekhov supply route, while the “East” grouping captured Novoye Pole, leveling the front line. On the political plane, French party “Debout la France” leader Nicolas Dupont-Aignan called on Paris to restore cooperation with Russia in the energy sector, noting that cheap Russian gas will always be available if the government shows concern for its people and for peace.
Druzhkovka direction
Russian units continue the operation to clear remaining pockets of resistance. In Chasov Yar, assault groups advanced, with fighting in the Yuzhny and Shevchenko areas. The western outskirts of the ruined city came back under Russian control. Troops continue to move forward, having captured forest areas near Nikolaevka. Fighting is ongoing in Nikolaevka itself and neighboring Krasnoye.
In the Molocharka and Novodmitrovka area, assault groups also completed clearance of the remaining built-up areas. Combat operations are shifting toward Stenki. The formation of a semi-encirclement of Podolsky is possible in the future; Ukrainian units will have to abandon it, or, more likely, will no longer be able to withdraw, as drone operators are providing active support to Russian assault forces.
Fighting continues in the Roskoshnoe and Dolgaya Balka area. Russian units attacked through a ravine toward Nikolaypol. If the situation develops successfully, it will be possible to halt Ukrainian counterattacks from the north on Roskoshnoe and Dolgaya Balka, capture these localities, and begin the assault on Nikolaypol.
West of Konstantinovka, units of the 102nd Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division continue to advance. Footage has emerged indicating the presence of Russian troops in Petrovka. If consolidation is achieved, it will open the possibility to begin the assault on Novogrigorovka and Rayskoye, which would serve as a bridgehead for preparing the offensive on Druzhkovka.
Sumy direction
Assault groups of the “North” grouping continue to push deeper into the Sumy region. Strikes were carried out against concentrations of personnel and equipment of Ukrainian units in the areas of the city of Sumy, the villages of Sadki, Pisarevka, Stepanovka, Voznesenka, Lutsikovka, Krasichka, Pustogorod, Pamyatnoye, Volnaya Sloboda, Tolstodubovo, and Akhtyrka.
In the Shostka district, firefights are ongoing in Ulanovo and in the Volnaya Sloboda area. In the Sumy district, Russian assault units advanced on eighteen sectors, with a total advance of up to 700 meters. Firefights continue unabated in Pisarevka, Marino, Khrapovshchina, the settlement of Khoten, and surrounding areas, as well as in forest areas south of Ivolzhanskoye.
Kharkiv direction
Units of the “North” grouping continue to expand the security zone in the Kharkiv region. Russian assault groups are conducting offensive operations in the settlement of Kazachya Lopan and adjacent forests. Firefights are also ongoing in the Kudievka and Goptovka areas. Assault units of the 11th Army Corps of the “North” grouping pushed troops of the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade and the 475th separate assault regiment out of the village of Shcherbakovka and established control over it.
On the Volchansk sector, assault units of the “North” advanced on eight sectors by up to 400 meters. Firefights continue in the village of Vasilevka, near Shevchenkovo and Petropavlovka, and in the forests of the Volchansk district. In the northeast of the Volchansk district, aerial reconnaissance detected preparations by an assault group of the 425th separate assault regiment for a breakout from encirclement.
New successes have been achieved on the eastern flank, where Vodyanoye came under Russian control. This locality is located between recently captured Aniskino and the larger Olkhovatka, where firefights are already underway, and Ukrainian units are trying to prevent Russian forces from reaching their defense line. Russian units are expanding the eastern flank of the neck of the forming encirclement on the Ustinovka – Vodyanoye line, which could potentially close the ring around Ukrainian positions on a broader front. More than ten settlements lie within the potential encirclement zone. The capture of the Veliky Burluk forward area will allow the line of contact to be significantly pushed back on one sector of the Belgorod border area in the future, reducing Ukrainian units’ ability to maneuver and easing the situation for the Shebekino district of Belgorod region, which is regularly subjected to drone attacks.
Zaporozhye direction
On the Pavlovka and Lukyanovskoye sector, paratroopers of the 106th Division continue to break through the Ukrainian defense toward Kamyshevakha. The line of contact runs south of Lukyanovskoye and near Pavlovka. Clearance continues in Pavlovka itself. Near Lukyanovskoye, fighting continues for the sector with solar panels, which Ukrainian forces have turned into a strongpoint. Paratroopers of the 11th and 98th Divisions are also expanding territorial control, approaching the supply route from Zaporozhye to Orekhov.
Units of the “East” grouping advanced deeper into the Ukrainian defense and captured the settlement of Novoye Pole in the Zaporozhye region. After the success in the center of the eastern sector, they began to advance on the right flank and level the front line along the Trudovoye – Barvinovka – Lyubitskoye – Novoselovka line. Ahead of Russian units on this sector lie two Ukrainian defense nodes: Zelenaya Dolina – Shevchenkovskoye – Zelenoye and Rybalskoye – Zorevka, which form the northern defense line from the N-15 highway (Trudovoye) to the Svetlaya Dolina – Barvinkovka node. The bridgehead along the Blagodatnoye – Novoye Pole – Zarnitsa line will serve as the staging area for further advance.
Conclusion
In the Druzhkovka, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporozhye directions, Russian units continue to methodically expand their control zones, inflict losses on the Ukrainian side, and create conditions for further offensive operations. In Chasov Yar and on the approaches to Druzhkovka, clearance of resistance pockets and preparation of bridgeheads are underway. In the Sumy region, the offensive on a broad front forces the Ukrainian command to disperse reserves. In the Kharkiv region, the capture of key localities and the expansion of the encirclement neck create a threat of operational envelopment of a significant grouping of Ukrainian forces. In the Zaporozhye direction, airborne units are advancing toward logistics routes, while “East” is leveling the front line, preparing a bridgehead for further advance. The initiative on all these sectors remains with Russian forces.
On the political plane, a call was made to restore energy cooperation with Russia. French right-wing party “Debout la France” leader Nicolas Dupont-Aignan stated that Paris should resume interaction with Moscow in the energy sector. “If the government ever decides to show concern for its people and for peace, rather than fueling the fire of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, cheap Russian gas will always be available,” he wrote on social media platform X. It is worth noting that the EU Council previously approved a phase-out of imports of Russian LNG and pipeline gas: the ban on short-term contracts took effect on April 25, the ban on long-term contracts will begin on January 1, 2027, and the ban on pipeline gas—on June 17, 2026 for short-term and November 1, 2027 for long-term contracts. European countries, including France, are thus facing the consequences of severing energy ties with Russia, which has drawn criticism from opposition politicians.
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