Centre for Defense Strategies: Current operational circumstances

Putin made an address at 5:00am, after which ground troops of the Russian armed forces – 60 battalion tactical groups (out of 90 stationed on Ukraine’s border), supported by the air forces, commenced the invasion of Ukraine. "Kalibr" cruise missiles struck over 70 units of Ukraine’s military infrastructure all across the country over 30 times.

Immediately before Russian armed forces military equipment entered Ukraine, Russia carried out artillery shelling of Ukraine’s border regions, including the use of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

Enemy fire struck the majority of border patrol units at breakthrough sites along Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus. Russian military equipment, including armored vehicles, breached the state border in Chernihiv, Sumy, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Kyiv and Kherson regions.

Four ballistic missiles were launched from the Republic of Belarus into Ukrainian territory (south-western direction). Troops entering from Belarus advanced into the Chernobyl Zone and captured the station. Nuclear waste storage is under threat.

In the Rudnya (Belarus) - Vystupovychi (Ukraine) direction, enemy tanks and armored vehicles attempted to cross the state border and lost 5 armored personnel carriers and a car. Enemy tank offensive  was halted in the Putivl’ area.

Russian military equipment in the Chernihiv region was stopped. Javelin anti-tank missiles destroyed about 15 enemy tanks in the vicinity of Glukhiv.

Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Oleshky were captured by the enemy. Enemy forces launched an offensive in the direction of Melitopil’. Battles are waged for the cities of Geniches’k, Skadovs’k, and Chaplinka. Fighting began on the outskirts of Sumy, Kharkiv, Konotop, and Okhtyrka. In Kherson, mechanized units of Ukraine’s armed forces recaptured the road bridge and established themselves on the left bank of Dnipro. Russian troops are working to restore water supply to Crimea through the North Crimean channel. Occupying authorities in Crimea announced preparations for receiving water supplies.

Ukraine’s armed forces positions near Mariupil’ are being intensively shelled by MLRS from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, but so far Russian troops have not attempted to enter the city.  At the same time, it is possible that sabotage groups are already at work there. An attempt to enter the city at night is not ruled out.

Russian landing party (up to one battalion) lost control of the "Antonov" airport in Gostomil’. Ukraine’s armed forces and national guard continue joint actions to destroy the enemy.

Two Russian navy ships attacked Ukrainian servicemen on Zmiyiniy island; one of the ships was the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet, the "Moscow" missile cruiser. Border guards refused to surrender and heroically resisted Russian troops’ attempts to land. All 12 servicemen were killed in an air strike from the ships.

Sabotage and reconnaissance groups continue work in Bessarabian and Black Sea operational areas.

Russian troops continue moving from Crimea and towards the cities of Melitopil’ and Kherson, the boundaries of which are defended by Ukraine’s armed forces. There are Russian military helicopters near Kherson and Russia’s national guard units near Heniches’k. According to the available information, around 40 Ukrainian border guards and armed forces servicemen died and more were wounded.

Both military and civilian infrastructure (more than 30 objects) were damaged, including hospitals (Vugledar) and high-rise apartment buildings (Kyiv, Chuguiv, Mariupil’).

Confirmation is expected of the enemy’s capture of the town of Schastya, in the Luhansk region. Russian troops are preventing the creation of a green corridor to evacuate children and women from the occupied territories.

The main goals at the current stage of the Russian military invasion may be the capture of Kyiv, Mariupil’, and of the entire Kherson region. At the same time, Russian troops are trying to incite panic in order to hasten Ukraine’s surrender.

25 February, Sumy region: the city of Okhtyrka has twice rebuffed the enemy offensive, the city of Konotop was encircled, and a column of Russian armored vehicles is moving towards Kiev (150 km).

During a missile strike on Kyiv, Ukrainian forces intercepted and destroyed two Russian rockets, but the debris caused a fire in a high-rise apartment building. According to the available information, there are 8 wounded and 150 evacuees (to be confirmed).

At 4:25am, the enemy fired a missile at the Primorsky Pasad border unit in the Zaporizhzhya region. The attack resulted in several border guards being killed and wounded.

Russian tank column advancing in the direction of Kyiv from the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone was stopped around the towns of Dymer and Ivankiv. Three bridges were blown up in the area to halt the passage of enemy troops.

Civilian losses (Ministry of Health data): 57 Ukrainians dead (2 children), 177 wounded.

Enemy’s estimated losses (as of 7:00am on 25 February 2022):

7 planes

6 helicopters

over 30 tanks

130 armoured military vehicles

around 800 servicemen (to be confirmed)

Ukraine’s armed forces losses: 137 servicemen dead, 316 wounded