Updates on the Fighting in Lugansk, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, and Donetsk Regions: April 25, 2023

The situation in Lugansk and Kharkiv regions

Russian sources claimed that Russian troops made limited ground attacks on the Svatovo-Kremennaya line on 25 April. Russian military bloggers claimed on 24 April that Russian troops had advanced towards Nevsky (17km northwest of Kremennaya), Makiivka (22km northwest of Kremennaya), and east of Disputed (25km south of Kremennaya).

The General Staff of Ukraine reported that Russian troops continue to strengthen their positions in the Kupyansk direction, and there were no ground strikes in the Limansk direction. Geolocation footage released April 25 shows that Russian troops likely captured Karmazinovka (13km southwest of Svatovoe) on an unspecified date.

On April 25, the commander of the Eastern Group of Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Alexander Syrsky, said that Russian troops were trying to oust Ukrainian troops from their positions in the Serebryansky Forest area (11 km south of Kremennaya) in order to create conditions for a further offensive in the Liman direction. Syrsky also said that Russian troops in eastern Ukraine had formed Shturm infantry units from each brigade or regiment, reinforced with tanks, thermobaric artillery, mortars and anti-tank units.

Fighting in Donbas

On April 24, Russian troops continued to make ground attacks in and around Bakhmut. Geolocation footage released on April 24 shows that Wagner Group forces made slight progress southwest of the Bakhmut-2 railway station in western Bakhmut.

Russian “military correspondents” claimed that the Wagner troops advanced in southern and western Bakhmut, where the fighting is the most fierce. Some military bloggers have claimed that Wagner troops have moved further west of the Bakhmut-2 railway station. One military blogger claimed that fighting was intensifying northwest of Bakhmut near Orekhovo-Vasilovka (11km northwest) and Novomarkovoe (12km northwest).

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that hostilities in Bakhmut were continuing and that Ukrainian forces had repelled Russian ground attacks near Bogdanovka (5km northwest of Bakhmut), Novomarkovoe, Khromovoe (immediately northwest of Bakhmut) and Klishchievka (5km south of Bakhmut).

The representative of the Eastern Group of Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, said that the forces of the Wagner group can no longer conduct combat operations without the support of the Russian Airborne Forces and special forces, which, according to Cherevaty, are activated in the Bakhmut area.

Ukrainian forces carried out a localized counterattack northwest of Bakhmut, likely to relieve pressure on the logistics line passing through Khromovo. A geolocation video released on April 25 shows Ukrainian troops catching up with Russian positions north of the O0504 Khromovo-Vremeni Yar highway. However, a Russian military blogger stated that the Ukrainian counterattack was unsuccessful.

On April 25, Russian troops continued to carry out ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk line. Geolocation footage of the so-called “DNR” people’s militia on April 21 shows that Russian troops have advanced east towards Nevelskoye (14km southwest of Avdiivka).

The General Staff of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian troops repulsed Russian ground attacks near Novokalinovo (9 km north of Avdiivka), Stepne (3 km northwest of Avdiivka), Severny (6 km west of Avdiivka), Pervomaisky (11 km south) west of Avdiivka), Maryinka (immediately west of Donetsk) and Novomikhailovka (10 km southwest of Donetsk).

A Russian military blogger’s combat map claims that as of April 25, Russian troops were advancing west of Kamenka (4km north of Avdiivka) and south of Vesele (5km north of Avdiivka). [32] Geolocation footage from the so-called “People’s Militia of the DPR” shows how the 1st Slavyansk and 110th motorized rifle brigades of the so-called “DPR” (1st Army Corps) operate south of Severny and near Nevelskoye, respectively.

On April 25, Russian troops did not carry out any confirmed or reported ground attacks in the western part of the Donetsk region. The representative of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the Tauride direction, Colonel Aleksey Dmitrashkovsky, said that the Russian 155th Marine Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet) reappeared in the Ugledar area, meaning that the brigade left the front line on an unspecified day for rest and recovery. Dmitrashkovsky estimated that the 155th brigade was most likely not in full combat readiness.

“South Axis”

On April 25, Russian military bloggers continued to vehemently object that Ukrainian troops had taken up firm positions on the eastern (left) bank of the Kherson region. They expanded text messages and video statements from the Russian military claiming that there were no Ukrainian troops on the eastern coast of the Kherson region and the situation was under control.

One of these videos shows members of the Union of Donbass Volunteers, affiliated with the occupying head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov. However, one military blogger claimed that Ukrainian troops had captured many of the islands in the Dnieper Delta.

Russian military bloggers also took the opportunity to amplify claims of Russian military successes, including that Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 supporting Ukrainian raids across the Dnieper River. They also claimed that Russian airstrikes, including modified FAB-500 guided bombs, improved the ability of Russian forces to repel Ukrainian forces from the eastern coast of the Kherson region.

Occupation official of the Zaporizhia region Vladimir Rogov said on April 25 that Ukrainian troops had deployed a new Grom-2 missile system to Zaporozhye. It is reported that the maximum range of “Grom-2” is 400-500 kilometers. A Russian military blogger claimed that on April 22, Ukrainian troops fired a Grom-2 rocket at the Kerch Bridge.