Military Situation Update: March 27, 2025, 08:31 UTC
I. Air, Missile, and Drone Activity
Overnight Russian Combined Attack (Mar 26-27):
Involved 1 Iskander-M ballistic missile (Voronezh Oblast, RU) and 86 drones (Shahed-type and imitators) launched from multiple locations (RU mainland & occupied Crimea).
Targets primarily in Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv Oblasts.
Ukrainian Air Defence intercepted 42 Shahed-type UAVs. The Iskander-M missile was not intercepted. 26 imitator drones were "locationally lost".
Impacts:
Kharkiv City/Oblast: 12 injured (including children); significant damage to residential buildings, infrastructure, warehouses, power lines, gas pipe.
Dnipro City: 3 injured; damage to enterprises, educational/cultural facilities (Potemkin Palace/Palace of Students), residential buildings.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast: Power/communication outages in frontline community due to shelling.
Nikopol District: 1 injured; damage to residential buildings, infrastructure from drone/artillery attacks.
Ongoing Air Threats (Morning Mar 27):
Ballistic missile threat alerts issued and lifted for multiple oblasts.
Russian tactical aviation active in the east/northeast, posing air-launched weapon threat to frontline oblasts.
Claimed Ukrainian Strike (Engels-2 Airbase, Mar 20):
Ukrainian General Staff claims destruction of 96 Russian air-launched cruise missiles and fuel reserves. Partially corroborated by RU sources regarding impact/explosions. Number of missiles requires verification.
Claimed Russian Strike (Cherkasy Airfield):
RU source claims destruction of hangars, aviation equipment, UAV facilities, and radar elements. Requires verification.
Naval Activity:
1 Russian Kalibr carrier (up to 4 missiles) reported in the Black Sea.
II. Ground Combat and Border Operations
Overall Intensity (Mar 26): High, with 224 combat clashes reported (Source: UA General Staff).
Main Russian Efforts: Pokrovsk, Toretsk, South Donetsk (Vremivka/Novopavlivsk), Kursk/Belgorod borders, Kupyansk, Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia (Orikhiv).
Kursk & Belgorod Border Operations (Ongoing UA Operations):
Kursk: Intense fighting continues near Guevo, Sudzha, Basovka. High RU air/artillery activity. RU sources claim activity near Veselovka, Vladimirovka, Gordeyevka, Uspenovka.
Belgorod: Heavy fighting near Demydovka, Popovka. UA strikes reported targeting bridges in Grafovka/Annovka.
Eastern & Southern Frontlines (Mar 26 Data):
Kharkiv: RU assaults near Vovchansk stopped.
Kupyansk: RU assaults near Holubivka, Zahryzove repelled/ongoing.
Lyman: 14 RU attacks repelled near multiple settlements.
Siversk: 11 RU attacks stopped near Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Ivano-Darivka. Report of UA capturing RU PoWs near Bilohorivka.
Pokrovsk:Highest intensity (88 clashes). RU attacks repelled near multiple settlements. UA SSO reportedly captured 9 RU soldiers. RU sources detail repelled UA counterattacks near Shevchenko/Peschanoe/Udachne, heavy RU drone/TOS use impacting UA rotations.
Novopavlivsk / South Donetsk / Vremivka: 25 RU attacks. RU claims break into Vesele, advances near Konstantynopil, Novosilka, Vilne Pole, Razliv, Dniproenerhiia, Komar. Intense fighting reported. Verification required.
Huliaipole: 16 RU attacks stopped near multiple settlements.
Russian Tactics: Continued heavy use of KABs (116+28 on Mar 26), FPV/kamikaze drones (2646 on Mar 26). Reported use of UGVs guided by UAVs (Kharkiv), fiber-optic controlled FPV drones (Kursk, Pokrovsk), Orlan-30 for targeting UA UAV crews (Pokrovsk). Demining operations reported in Krasnohorivka (RU Source).
North Korean Support (Claim): Alleged deployment of ~3000 additional NK soldiers (Jan-Feb), increased weapon shipments (SRBMs, SPGs, MLRS, ammo). Verification required.
Russian Espionage Claim: FSB alleges UA intelligence attempts recruitment/data gathering under guise of US RAND Corporation. Likely propaganda, requires verification.
Ukrainian Recruitment: Expanded list of 10 additional brigades for "Contract 18-24" program.
