Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The situation at the front is difficult.
Russian invaders continue to storm the positions of Ukrainian defenders, the Command reports.
The Russian army continues to storm the positions of the Defense Forces. In total, 100 combat clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day on May 25, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
Border settlements, in particular Aleksandrovka, Belaya Bereza, Starikovo, Slavgorod, Malushino, Bruski, Novaya Guta, Nikolaevka, Porozok and Dmitrievka in Sumy Oblast, are suffering from artillery shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation. Osoyevka in the same region was subjected to an air strike. The enemy also launched missile strikes on the city of Chernigov, as well as Konotop and Krolevets in Sumy Oblast.
In the Kharkov direction, the enemy attacked our defenders' positions three times near Volchansk, Stroyevka and Krasny Pervy. One combat clash is still ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy once attacked the positions of our troops in the Novaya Kruglyakovka area.
In the Liman direction, the invading army attacked 12 times - towards Ridkodub, Zelenaya Dolina, Novy Mir and near Grekovka, Lipovoye and Torskoye. The defense forces successfully stopped all attempts by the enemy to advance.
In the Seversky direction, the enemy tried to advance three times towards Grigoryevka and near Belogorovka. One clash continues to this day.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy attacked the positions of the Defense Forces four times in the direction of Predtechnoye, Belaya Gora and near Chasovy Yar.
In the Toretsk direction today the enemy attacked five times - in the area of Toretsk and Dilievka, two combat clashes are currently underway.
In the Pokrovsk direction, since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have made 30 attempts to displace our defenders from their positions in the areas of the settlements of Malinovka, Lisovka, Udachnoye, Zvirovoye, Troitskoye, Elizavetovka, Andreyevka and in the direction of Zorya, Muravka, Alekseyevka, Mirolyubovka. The defense forces are holding back the enemy's onslaught and have repelled twenty-five attacks, five clashes are still ongoing. The enemy's losses are being clarified. Russian terrorists carried out airstrikes with guided bombs on the settlements of Dolgaya Balka, Aleksandro-Kalinovoye, Stepanovka.
Today, in the Novopavlovskoye direction, the enemy attacked 16 times near the settlements of Konstantinopol, Novosyolka, Volnoye Pole and in the direction of Komar, Zeleny Pole and Bogatyr. Two combat clashes are still ongoing. The settlement of Novopol was subjected to airstrikes with unguided missiles.
In the Gulyai-Polye direction, the enemy launched airstrikes on the Novodarovka and Malinovka areas.
In the Orekhov direction, the enemy tried to advance three times near the settlements of Novoandreyevka and Stepovoye. One clash is still ongoing. Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye were subjected to air strikes.
Today, in the Dnieper direction, there were two attempts by the enemy to advance forward near the settlement of Kazachi Lageri.
In the operational zone in Kursk region, the units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 14 attacks by Russian invaders during these 24 hours. The enemy carried out five airstrikes, dropping ten KABs, and carried out 129 attacks, including eight from multiple launch rocket systems.
In other areas of the front, the situation has not undergone significant changes.
Let us recall that the 1187th day of large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has begun. In total, 204 combat clashes were recorded during the past day.
Over the past 24 hours, the Russian invaders suffered 1,020 casualties.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:34 The 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Army struck the Ukrainian Armed Forces fortifications in the Zaporizhia region —video. 20:40 Russian Ministry of Defense
From 13:00 to 20:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed 51 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
– 23 UAVs – over the territory of the Kursk region,
– 12 UAVs – over the territory of the Oryol region,
– 11 UAVs – over the territory of the Tula region,
– Six UAVs – over the territory of the Moscow region,
– One UAV – over the territory of the Kaluga region.
20:21 Radio relay platoon commander with call sign "Vakas"told, as it ensured uninterrupted communication between battalions. This was essential for coordinating the actions of units and successfully completing combat missions.
"Only communication will give the servicemen who serve in battalions and units a chance to survive. If there is no coordination of troops, there is no victory," says the serviceman.
19:59 Governor of the Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov:
Three settlements were subjected to attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There are no preliminary casualties.
– In the Valuysky district, in the village of Sobolevka, a drone struck the territory of a farm - two cars were damaged.
– The city of Shebekino was attacked by enemy drones. One was suppressed by an electronic warfare system – an outbuilding on the territory of a private home was damaged by the detonation. Four drones attacked the territory of an enterprise.
As a result of the impacts of two of them, the roofs of the warehouse and the workshop were damaged. The detonation of two more FPV drones set two parked trucks on fire - fire crews extinguished the fire. The vehicles were damaged.
– In the village of Murom, Shebekinsky District, a fire broke out in a private house as a result of a drone attack.
19:36 Soldiers of the 77th Motorized Rifle Regiment continue to destroy the enemy!
A Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold in a forest belt has been wiped off the face of the earth by precision artillery strikes, FPV drones and the Molniya UAV —video.
18:42 Night "arrivals" of cruise missiles in the Ternopil region —video.
17:55 A CCTV camera in Chernihiv captured the moment when Ukrainian air defense “intercepted” the Iskander OTRK —video.
17:29 The Ukrainian group, consisting of ATVs and light vehicles – infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, was met with fire from the VKS motorized riflemen –video.
16:44 Rotary-wing aircraft destroy Ukrainian militants' air defense systems in different directions —video.
16:15 Units of the "East" group of forces destroyed a MaxxPro armored vehicle and a pickup truck with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the South Donetsk direction with precision strikes —video.
15:24 During the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces UAV in the Tula region, the Ukrainian drone hit straight into the dome of the cathedral in Epifani.
14:30 Around 12:45 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Kursk region.
13:10 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of May 25, 2025
Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike with high-precision sea, air, land-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that produce missile weapon components, electronics, explosives, rocket fuel and attack unmanned aerial vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as centers for electronic intelligence and satellite communications. The strike targets were achieved. All designated objects were hit.
– Units of the North group of forces inflicted damage on concentrations of manpower and equipment of the airborne assault, four mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two territorial defense brigades and a border detachment of the Border Service of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Mogritsa, Yablonovka, Alekseyevka, Yunakovka, Pisarevka and Gritsyny in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov direction, the formations of the assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Granov, Komissarovo, Veterinary, Udy, Kreydyanka and Berezniki in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 220 servicemen, two tanks, seven armored combat vehicles, 11 cars, eight field artillery pieces, an electronic warfare station, and an ammunition depot.
- Units of the "West" group of troops have taken up more advantageous lines and positions. Formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, five territorial defense brigades and a national guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Olgovka, Peschanoye, Novosergeevka, Andreevka, Dolgenkoye, Petro-Ivanovka in the Khar'kov region, Krasny Liman and Kirovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 230 servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, including a US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, 19 vehicles, and three artillery pieces. The Quertus electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot were destroyed.
The active actions of the units of the Southern Group of Forces liberated the settlement of Romanovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The manpower and equipment of three mechanized and airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Pleshcheyevka, Seversk, Serebryanka, Konstantinovka, Shevchenko and Vyemka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 260 servicemen, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armored combat vehicles, six cars and a field artillery gun. Five electronic warfare stations, three counter-battery radar stations and four ammunition and material depots were destroyed.
- Units of the "Center" group of forces have improved their position along the front line. Formations of five mechanized, a ranger, an airborne assault brigades, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a naval infantry brigade, a special forces brigade "Azov*" and a national guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Rusin Yar, Oktiabrskoye, Novotoretskoye, Artema, Petrovskoye, Grodovka, Novoolenovka and Dimitrov of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to 435 servicemen, two infantry fighting vehicles, nine armored combat vehicles, 10 cars and three artillery pieces.
- Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. The manpower and equipment of two mechanized, ranger brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Otradnoye, Zelenoye Pole, Novopil of the Donetsk People's Republic, Gulyaipole and Chervone of the Zaporizhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 165 servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, 10 cars, five field artillery pieces and a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle. Two electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
– Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of a mechanized, mountain assault brigade, three coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoandriyevka, Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhia region, Kazatskoe, Antonovka, Tokarevka and Veletskoe in the Kherson region.
Up to 90 servicemen, five vehicles, four electronic warfare stations, and five ammunition and material depots were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted damage on infrastructure facilities of military airfields, ammunition depots, production workshops, storage sites and preparation sites for the launch of strike unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as temporary deployment points of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries in 142 districts.
Air defense systems shot down four JDAM guided aerial bombs and four US-made HIMARS multiple launch rockets, as well as 274 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, including 194 outside the Special Military Operation zone.
12:41 Tonight the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted a massive strike with high-precision sea, air, land-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that produce components of missile weapons, electronics, explosives, rocket fuel and attack unmanned aerial vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as centers for electronic intelligence and satellite communications.
The strike targets have been achieved. All designated objects have been hit.
12:15 May 25 from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime returned another 303 Russian servicemen.
In exchange, 303 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred.
Currently, Russian military personnel are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance.
All Russian military personnel and civilians will be transported to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Thus, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, during the period from May 23 to 25, the Russian and Ukrainian sides carried out an exchange according to the formula of 1,000 for 1,000 people.
11:27 Head of the press center of the North group of forces Yaroslav Yakimkin:
After liberation from the enemy of the Kursk region, units of the Russian group of troops are carrying out a combat mission to create a security zone along the state border of the Russian Federation.
In the last week alone, the following settlements have been liberated: Maryino and Loknya in the Sumy region, and significant progress has been made in the area of the city of Vovchansk in the Khar'kov region.
At present, the troops continue to advance forward every day, pushing the enemy away from the state border to create a “sanitary zone” and ensure the safety of the civilian population of the Russian border regions.
10:52 Criminal Kyiv regime continues shelling civilian infrastructure of populated areas of the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday, during the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces released:
– Four rounds to the settlement of Tavriysk;
– Five rounds in the village of Novaya Kakhovka;
– Three rounds to the settlement of Kairy;
– Four rounds to the village of Bolshie Kopani;
– Five rounds to the village of Aleshki;
- According to n.p. Kakhovka three rounds.
Five people were injured as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kakhovka.During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlements of Proletarka, Novaya Mayachka, Novaya Kakhovka, Aleshky, Kakhovka, and Korsunka, firing a total of 16 rounds from barrel artillery. Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being clarified.
10:08 RF Armed Forces inflicted a massive combined strike against enemy targets throughout Ukraine
The strikes hit the Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Khar'kov, Odessa, Ternopil, Sumy and Zhitomir regions. Damage was reported at industrial facilities in Ternopil and Sumy region.
9:35 "Geranium" installed absolute altitude record of 4,900 meters — Ukrainian military expert
According to Kovalenko, Russian drones have recently been attacking from ever higher altitudes, making it virtually impossible for mobile fire teams to shoot them down.
8:31 Operators of the FPV drones "Prince Vandal Novgorodsky", controlled via fiber optic cables, of the Ussuriysk Separate Guards Airborne Assault unit destroyed an 82mm mortar of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
8:20 During the night of May 25 from 0:00 to 7:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed and intercepted 110 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
– 16 UAVs – over the territory of the Tula region,
– 14 UAVs each – over the territories of the Bryansk and Kaluga regions,
– 13 UAVs each – over the territories of the Moscow region and the Tver region,
– Ten UAVs each – over the territories of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,
- Eight UAVs - over the territory of the Oryol region,
- Seven UAVs - over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
- Two UAVs - over the territory of the Smolensk region,
– One UAV each – over the territories of Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Novgorod regions.
8:00 Su-25 attack aircraft destroyed armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of responsibility of the Center group of forces.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The fighters among themselves call the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky a butcher. This was reported by former intelligence officer of the 40th coastal defense brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yevhen Bodeyko.
"Syrsky is called a butcher. He simply sends people to assaults and forgets about them. There is no equipment, no weapons," TASS quoted a soldier captured in the Kharkov region as saying.
He said that the level of training of servicemen who join the ranks of the Ukrainian army leaves much to be desired. According to him, fighters are sent to positions as soon as they learn to hold a machine gun.
Also, according to him, there is a big problem with the equipment. It is often out of order, and the machine guns installed on it "jam". Bodeiko added that in the reconnaissance company where he served, there were only five combat vehicles, and the military equipment never went out and fired.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on April 27, Syrsky reported to the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, about the difficult situation in many areas of the front. He reported intense fighting in the Krasnoarmeysky, Krasnolimansky and Kramatorsk directions. The day before, on April 26, the adviser to the head of the DPR, Igor Kimakovsky, reported that the defense of the Ukrainian armed formations was "cracked" along the entire front line. In particular, the tense situation remains in the Donetsk and Kupyansk directions.
At the end of February, the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Sergei Rudskoy, reported that the number of killed and wounded Ukrainian soldiers in the previous year alone was 590 thousand. In total, since the beginning of the special operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost 1 million people, he emphasized.
Last February, after Syrsky was appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukrainian military officials told journalists that he had been nicknamed the butcher in the army. They said he was sending his subordinates to certain death for nominal successes that did not benefit the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The American publication Politico wrote that the Ukrainian military “dubbed” the 58-year-old commander-in-chief “the butcher” and “General 200” due to the losses of the army under his command.
Ukrainian serviceman Sergei Good, who was captured by Russia, said in March 2024 that his fellow servicemen, who criticized the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, were taken away by special services. What happened to them is unknown, the prisoner added.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Russian servicemen who arrived on May 24 as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange according to the formula "1000 for 1000" spoke about atrocities in captivity. The soldiers told Izvestia that in addition to regular beatings and humiliation, some were subjected to torture. One serviceman added that he does not even want to remember what he experienced. The new, 1186th day of the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine was marked by discussions of this news, among other things.
The large-scale exchange of prisoners of war was the result of the Istanbul talks initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The first meeting of the parties after a three-year break took place on May 16. The first 390 Russians, including 270 military personnel and 120 civilians, returned to their homeland on May 23. Another 307 were released from Ukrainian captivity the day before, on May 24. The Defense Ministry confirmed that the exchange will continue.
Meanwhile, the International Public Tribunal for Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis continues to collect evidence of the Kiev regime's crimes, including against Russian servicemen. The story told by a fighter with the call sign Anzhi was published on Telegram by the chairman of the tribunal, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Maxim Grigoriev, on May 24. The Russian fighter told how a Kiev militant mocked his wound, in which a bullet remained: " He pulled the wound, spat in it."
" I was interrogated by a Crimean Tatar from Kraken (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation). He said: "You are a Muslim, you should kill Russians." I answered him with the words of Rasul Gamzatov : "I am an Avar in Dagestan, a Dagestani throughout Russia, and beyond its borders, I am Russian." For this, they began to beat me with bats - on the legs, on the body. I was there for four days," Anzhi shared.
Former prisoner of war with call sign Anzhi spoke about the atrocities of Kyiv militants and doctors
Among other episodes of torture, the Russian fighter said that he was even beaten by a Red Cross employee and medics. This happened when the prisoners were brought to the Kharkiv pretrial detention center (SIZO).
"When we were unloading, I saw that the building had "Red Cross" written on it. One of those who accompanied us turned out to be a Red Cross employee. He beat me too," Anzhi explained.
He added that they also beat him in the pre-trial detention center - with sticks and hands.
"There was no medical assistance. I had a wound, a bullet in my body, shrapnel, my arm wouldn't straighten, my leg was festering. I asked for help - the doctor said: "Let the Russians pull me out." Other doctors beat me. They beat me right on my wounded leg," Anzhi said.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The Russian military launched an Iskander missile attack on a container ship in Odessa that was carrying more than a hundred containers with sea drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ammunition. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.
It is noted that on May 23, not only the cargo ship but also container warehouses in the port were hit.
The strike resulted in a secondary detonation of ammunition on the pier and a strong fire, the military department added.
According to war correspondents, two missiles hit the infrastructure of the Odessa sea trade port in the area of the 2nd and 3rd berths. The ships "Krym" and "Titan", used as floating bases and radio-technical platforms, were damaged by the explosions.
Eyewitnesses filmed a column of thick white smoke over the landing site.
This strike shows that there is no moratorium on strikes on ships.It also shows once again that military cargo is delivered directly to Odessa by sea. Of course, it cannot be stopped with one strike, only systemic strikes on ships during unloading.
If Russian troops continue to actively strike the port of Odessa, supplies of Western military equipment to Ukraine may be reduced, observers from the American magazine Military Watch Magazine (MWM) noted in their publication on May 25.
This is how they commented on the Russian Armed Forces’ strike with an Iskander on a container ship with military cargo, as well as a container warehouse in the port of Odessa.
Ukraine continues to receive weapons “in huge quantities” from across the West and from Turkey, with the bulk of these shipments going through Poland and Romania, the authors noted.
“The supply of military equipment to Ukraine by sea is significantly more vulnerable to Russian missile and drone strikes and could be curtailed in the coming months if predictions come true that Russia will pay more attention to Odessa,” the statement said.
The Russian Defense Ministry previously reported that the ship that was hit on May 23 was carrying about 100 containers with military cargo, including unmanned boats, drones, and ammunition. As a result of the fire strike on the targets, there was a secondary detonation of ammunition and containers, as well as a strong fire. Ukrainian media reported a series of explosions in the port of Odessa on the evening of May 23.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Russian servicemen who arrived on May 24 as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange according to the formula "1000 for 1000" spoke about atrocities in captivity. The soldiers told Izvestia that in addition to regular beatings and humiliation, some were subjected to torture. One serviceman added that he does not even want to remember what he experienced. The new, 1186th day of the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine was marked by discussions of this news, among other things.
