🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"Successes near Severesk

After the battle for Severesk ended, Russian units concentrated their efforts on clearing the northern flank. Mine № 6, which had been contested for the past several months, came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.

A group of Ukrainian infantry holding one of the buildings was initially attacked by drones, and later stormtroopers from the 70th OMSBR entered the site. Opponents who faltered were eliminated by UAV operators.

➡️Before the Russian Armed Forces launch a further offensive on Slavyansk, they still need to clear the surroundings of Severesk, organize logistics in the recently liberated city, and evacuate civilians.

📌Later, the fighters will have to secure the heights near Svyato-Pokrovsky, which will allow UAV operators to set up convenient positions for strikes on Ukrainian logistics already in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.

In addition, it will be necessary to advance in the neighboring Lyman direction, where past successes laid the "foundation" for the liberation of Severesk.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront | Military Situation In Ukraine On December 16, 2025 (Map Update)

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront's high resolution map regarding Kupyansky front.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront's high resolution map regarding Gulyaypole front.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront's high resolution map Mirnograd front.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront's high resolution map regarding Volchansk front.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🕶 ✙DeepState✙🇺🇦:

"🗺 Over the past 3 years and 8 months (44 months or 1350 days), the enemy has captured 23% of the Donetsk region, while 22.6% remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces

🏹 Although the dynamics of the occupation of Donetsk remains quite active in daily updates, it is very slow in the context of control over the entire region.

📊 Before the full-scale invasion, the militants of the pro-Russian terrorist groups controlled approximately 32% of the region. During the first 40 days of the invasion, due to the failure of the defense in southern Ukraine and the encirclement of Mariupol, the Russians managed to capture an additional 22.4% of Donetsk. After this, the pace of advancement slowed down, as the Defense Forces established positions from Velika Novosilka to Vugledar, and the Russians focused on storming the Donetsk Fortified Region (DonUru).

📋 It's a historical fact that the German Wehrmacht managed to reach Moscow and Stalingrad from the Western Bug in less than 47 months, and also return to Berlin. In contrast, the "second army of the world" managed to reach from Donetsk to Pokrovsk in a nearly similar period.

♣️ It's hard to understand how American partners consider such a "turtle offensive" an advantage. However, of course, we are not able to liberate all internationally recognized territories with the current configuration of forces.

🤷🏻‍♂️ In general, if there are no major changes, it will take at least 3 years for the Russians to occupy all of Donetsk."

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😎❌🤔⛴ — 🇩🇪 BILD:

"Ukrainian underwater drone for the first time hit a Russian submarine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced

The Security Service of Ukraine reported on Telegram that during a special operation conducted together with the Navy against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, it damaged and "practically disabled" a Russian submarine of the "Varshavyanka" type. This was done with the help of an underwater drone of the Sub Sea Baby type. The SBU published a video of the drone's explosion.

"On board the submarine were four launchers of the Kalibr cruise missiles, which the enemy uses to strike at the territory of Ukraine"

— the SBU justified the use of the drone.

Earlier, according to Ukrainian data, the boat was stationed in Crimea. Due to attacks by marine drones in the Bay of Sevastopol, it was relocated to Novorossiysk. The press service of the Black Sea Fleet denies the fact of damage to the submarine."

📹 Video from Rybar

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🇺🇦🇩🇪👏🇺🇸📝 — 📰 ZeroHedge | Zelensky, Merz Hail NATO-Style US Security Guarantees As 'Real Progress' In Peace Deal | December 16, 2025:

"We've heard this all before, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and American officials are hailing progress after deep discussions on a peace deal to end the nearly four-year war with Russia. During the couple days of meetings in Berlin, US officials have said there's consensus from Ukraine and Europe on about 90% of the Trump-proposedd peace plan.

(...) "The United States, Ukraine and Europe have agreed on a NATO-like guarantee for the future security of Ukraine, two U.S. officials said on Monday, as they tried to come up with a revised peace proposal that would deter future aggression and still satisfy Russia."

(...) "The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees, Article 5-like." This has sparked optimism in Berlin (though again, we've seen this all before):

"We now have the chance for a real peace process," Merz said.

Zelensky concurred: "We have progress there. I have seen the details from the military that they have been working on, and they look very good, even though it is only the first draft."

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🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦🤝🇪🇺 — 📰 The New York Times | Ukraine and Allies Agree on Security Guarantee for Peace Proposal | Crucial details on the future security of Ukraine remain unsettled as negotiators seek a deal that Russia will approve | December 15, 2025:

"The United States, Ukraine and Europe have agreed on a NATO-like guarantee for the future security of Ukraine, two U.S. officials said on Monday, as they tried to come up with a revised peace proposal that would deter future aggression and still satisfy Russia.

After two days of talks in Berlin, the American officials told reporters they had resolved or significantly closed gaps on 90 percent of their differences on a 20-point draft agreement to end the war. But they acknowledged that the question of where to draw a new Ukraine-Russia border in the Donbas, where much of the fighting continues, was unresolved.

“For now we have different positions, to be honest,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said at a brief news conference on Monday. “But I think my colleagues have heard my personal position.”

Mr. Zelensky has said it would be impossible for Ukraine to give up territory, mostly in Donetsk, that Russia has not taken on the battlefield. President Trump has told him, officials say, that he should surrender that territory, because he will most likely lose it in coming months if the fighting continues.

Ultimately, the two American officials said, that negotiation would be left to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Mr. Zelensky — and privately American and European officials say that is one of several issues that could derail what have been the most extensive negotiations on ending the fighting since Russia invaded Ukraine just shy of four years ago. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Trump administration for the negotiations."

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇺🇦 General Staff of the Armed Forces:

"Operational information as of 08:00 on December 17, 2025 regarding the Russian invasion

The 1,393rd day of the large-scale armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine has begun. Ukrainian defenders are steadily repelling the occupiers' attacks, inflicting significant losses on the enemy.

Over the past day, 278 combat clashes were recorded.

Yesterday, the enemy carried out 74 airstrikes and dropped 179 guided aerial bombs. In addition, they conducted 3,729 shellings, including 75 from multiple rocket launcher systems, and deployed 3,523 suicide drones.

The aggressor carried out airstrikes, including on the areas of the populated settlements of Ivanivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region; Vozdvizhivka, Zalishchne, Ternuvate, Zorivka, Novoe Pole, and Gulyaypole in the Zaporizhia region.

On the North-Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian defenders repelled 15 Russian attacks. The enemy carried out three airstrikes and dropped eight guided aerial bombs, as well as conducted 138 shellings, including eight from multiple rocket launcher systems.

On the South-Slobozhansky direction, our troops repelled nine enemy attacks in the areas of Prilipka, Sinelekhove, and towards Izbytske, Obukhivka, Kolodiany.

On the Kupyansk direction, 24 enemy attacks took place yesterday. Our defenders repelled the enemy's assaults towards Kupyansk, Petropavlivka, Kucherivka, Pishchane, Novoplatonivka, Golubivka, and Novokruglivka.

On the Liman direction, the enemy attacked 27 times, attempting to break through our defenses in the area of Torske and towards the populated settlements of Liman, Stepove, Koroviy Yar, Zarichne, Drobysheve, Novoselivka, Stavky, and Glushchenko.

On the Slavyansk direction, our defenders repelled six enemy attacks in the areas of Siversk, Serebryanka, and towards Pazeno.

On the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy once attacked our positions towards Bondarne.

On the Konstantinovka direction, the enemy carried out 24 attacks near Pleschivka, Ivanopil, Rusino Yar, Yablunivka, and towards Sofiyivka, Konstantinovka.

On the Pokrovsky direction, our defenders stopped 82 enemy assaults in the areas of Kotlyne, Udachne, Pokrovsk, and towards Rivne, Mirnograd, Rodynske, Grishino, Zvir, Sergeyevka, Novopavlivka, Filia, Novy Shakhov, Dorozhny, Sukhetske, Vilyne, and Ivanivka.

On the Alexandrovsky direction, the enemy yesterday carried out 20 attacks in the areas of Zeleny Hai, Sichneve, Krasnogorske, Zlagoda, and Rybne, and towards Ivanivka, Iskra, Alexandrograd, Verbove, Privolnoe, and Novopavlivka.

On the Gulyaypole direction, our defense forces repelled 28 Russian attacks in the area of Soloedke and towards Varvarivka, Gulyaypole.

On the Orikhivsky direction, the enemy unsuccessfully attempted to break through our defenses eight times in the areas of Scherbaki, Stepove, and towards Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, and Primorsky.

No clashes were recorded on the Dnieper direction.

On the Volyn and Polissky directions, no signs of the enemy forming offensive groups were detected.

Over the past day, the losses of the Russian invaders amounted to 1,730 people. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers disabled six tanks, 21 armored combat vehicles, 33 artillery systems, a multiple rocket launcher system, an air defense system, 167 operational-tactical-level unmanned aerial vehicles, and 179 units of the occupiers' automotive and special equipment."

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⚡️ MoD of Russia:

"Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of December 17, 2025

🪖 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct the special military operation.

💥 Units of the "North" group of forces inflicted a defeat on the formations of the UAF's Yeager Brigade and a National Guard regiment in the areas of the settlements of Pisarevka, Varachino, and Shostka in the Sumy region.

🔥 In the Kharkiv direction, a defeat was inflicted on the units of two heavy mechanized, two mechanized brigades of the UAF and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Stary Saltiv, Revolutionary, Velikiy Buruluk, Izbitskoe, Volchanskie Khutory, and Varvarovka in the Kharkiv region.

▪️ The enemy lost up to 160 servicemen, a combat armored vehicle, 12 vehicles, and an electronic warfare station.

💥 Units of the "West" group of forces inflicted a defeat on the manpower and equipment of six mechanized and two assault brigades of the UAF in the areas of the settlements of Blagodatovka, Podoly, Kovsharovka, Novosergeevka, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Monachinovka in the Kharkiv region and Red Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic.

▪️ The losses of the Ukrainian armed formations amounted to up to 230 servicemen, three American HMMWV combat armored vehicles, 15 vehicles, three artillery pieces, including a 155-mm M777 howitzer and a 155-mm M114 howitzer produced in the USA, an electronic warfare station, and four ammunition and fuel depots.

📍 Units of the "South" group of forces took more advantageous positions and positions. A defeat was inflicted on the formations of four mechanized, mountain-assault brigades of the UAF, a marine infantry brigade, and two National Guard brigades in the areas of the settlements of Reznikovka, Stepanovka, Slavyansk, Petrovskoe, Konstantinovka, and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic.

▪️ The enemy lost more than 200 servicemen, 18 vehicles, two artillery pieces, two electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition and fuel depots.

💥 Units of the "Center" group of forces continued to destroy the surrounded enemy in the Eastern and Western microdistricts of the city of Dimetrov in the Donetsk People's Republic. A sweep of the settlements of Rodinskoe, Svetloe, and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopavlovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region from scattered UAF groups is being carried out.

🔥 A defeat was inflicted on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized, airborne, Yeager brigades, a drone regiment, two assault regiments of the UAF, two marine brigades, the "Azov" special forces brigade, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades in the areas of the settlements of Volnoe, Toretskoe, Belitskoe, Udachnoe in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopavlovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

▪️ The enemy's losses amounted to over 470 servicemen, two US-produced HMMWV combat armored vehicles, six vehicles, and four field artillery pieces, including two Western-made ones."

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⚡️ MoD of Russia:

"Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of December 17, 2025.

🚩 Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depth of the enemy's defense and liberated the populated locality of Gerasimovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

💥 Inflicted a defeat on the manpower and equipment of mechanized, assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the populated localities of Andrievka, Havrylivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ternovate, Gulyai-Pole and Kosovtsevo in the Zaporizhia region.

▪️ The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 235 servicemen, two tanks, an armored personnel carrier, three U.S.-made HMMWV combat armored vehicles, nine vehicles and three field artillery pieces, including a 155mm American M777 howitzer.

💥 Units of the "Dnieper" group of forces inflicted a defeat on the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's mountain-assault brigade and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the populated localities of Razumovka, Novoyakovlevka in the Zaporizhia region and Nikolskoe in the Kherson region.

▪️ Destroyed up to 45 Ukrainian servicemen, 11 vehicles, a 155mm self-propelled artillery installation "Bogdana", two ammunition depots and two materiel depots.

✈️ Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted a defeat on the unmanned boat assembly and testing center of the Ukrainian Security Service, transport infrastructure objects used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, assembly shops for long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 143 districts.

🎯 In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, were destroyed:

▫️ 669 aircraft,
▫️ 283 helicopters,
▫️ 103542 unmanned aerial vehicles,
▫️ 640 anti-aircraft missile systems,
▫️ 26574 tanks and other combat armored vehicles,
▫️ 31973 field artillery and mortar pieces,
▫️ 49280 units of special military automotive equipment."

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"Expanding the bridgehead: the situation on the East-Zaporizhia direction

The defense line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along Haychur is gradually collapsing. Fighters of the 36th Motor Rifle Brigade of the "Vostok" Army Corps drove the enemy out of the territory of Herasimovka, expanding the bridgehead on the left bank of the river.

Units of the 110th Motor Rifle Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after an unsuccessful attempt to restore lost positions, retreated towards the Novo Pole-Ternovatoe line. Moreover, the enemy's "fire brigade" in the form of the 225th Motor Rifle Regiment did not have time to participate in the battles for the village.

📌 This assault regiment is regularly deployed by the Ukrainian command to different parts of the front for counterattacks or "flag captures". However, even such infantry has its limits.

Currently, the Russian Armed Forces are launching attacks towards the villages located to the north of Bratske and Andreevka. Probably, the most fierce battles on this section will take place for a large stronghold between the villages, control over which will allow securing supply routes.

On the opposite flank, Russian troops are conducting a cleanup of the eastern part of Gulyaipole and trying to enter the city center. Ukrainian formations are counterattacking with the forces of the aforementioned 225th and 425th assault regiments to the north of the populated area.

The enemy is striving to regain control over the section of the R-85 route to the recently liberated Varvarivka in order to block one of the routes of the Russian Armed Forces' passage to Gulyaipole and flank the assault troops operating in its eastern part.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"Battles near the Seversky Donets

In the Burlyk direction, after the recent liberation of Volchansk, Russian troops continue to build on their success, advancing in the vicinity of the city.

🔻Where have they managed to advance?

▪️To the southwest of Volchansk, an offensive is underway through the Tatar forest. Russian units are fighting for the small settlement of Prilipka, and are also advancing in the vicinity of Liman, which recently came under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. Battles are also shifting towards Grafskoe — another small settlement located on the banks of the Seversky Donets.

▪️Part of the village of Vilcha has come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces, and now the Ukrainian forces maintain a limited presence only on its southwestern outskirts. The situation for the enemy is worsening: the road through Liman is cut off, and supplies and rotations are carried out via dirt roads in the forest strips, which are under drone attack.

▪️To the east, Russian units, having cleared Volchansk, have begun to attack in the direction of the Volchansky Khutory and have already seized the western outskirts of the settlement. From there, Ukrainian formations previously carried out counterattacks, using the settlement to accumulate reserves.

▪️The Melove-Otradnoe frontline remains stable for now. Battles are taking place here in the forest strips and ravines by small groups. There have been no reports of advances from here.

📌A series of local successes of Russian units under Volchansk allow for offensive actions deep into the UAF's defenses. And since the enemy has transferred some of the units that had suffered losses to the neighboring Kupyansk direction, the pace of the occupation of the border territory of the Kharkiv region may well increase.

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🇸🇾💥🔥 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront | Military Situation In Syria On December 17, 2025 (Map Update)

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"Successes near Stepnogorsk

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russian units continue to engage in heavy fighting on the approaches to Orekhovo, and have also made significant advances in the vicinity of Stepnogorsk.

🔻What is happening?

▪️Russian units still maintain a "hold" on the southern outskirts of Novodanilovka and Malaya Tokmachka. Claims of liberating these settlements have not been confirmed.

▪️However, there are successes on the western flank — there Russian units managed to advance near Stepovoye, capturing several forest belts, and also broke through the front near Stepnogorsk.

▪️While heavy fighting continues in Primorsk, paratroopers have established control over almost the entire territory of Stepnogorsk, and have also begun attacking further north and towards Lukyanovskoye.

▪️Using the enemy’s fortified defensive line, soldiers of the 7th Airborne Assault Division and other units were able to occupy a chain of enemy strongpoints east of Stepnogorsk.

▪️The enemy was also pushed out from positions near the solar power plant and on the approaches to the abandoned Stepnogorsk Mining and Processing Plant.

📌 At the same time, the situation across the entire direction remains difficult. The enemy has brought UAV operators to the sectors and is trying to "cut off" the expanding salient near Stepnogorsk.

But if the captured strongpoints can be held, this will create an opportunity to later expand the salient and pose a threat from the western flank. This will worsen the position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces against the backdrop of their defense in the east relying on Huliaipole, which is rapidly losing strategic significance.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"A Tale of Absurd Anti-Crises

The passions over Kupyansk continue. While heavy battles are taking place in the city, the media on both sides are trying to seize the agenda and alternately declare their control over most of the city.

Footage from the settlement arrives infrequently and with a delay, and the most "fresh" from the enemy date back to the beginning of December. At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces publish videos confirming the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the settlement.

For example, Ukrainian formations were spotted in the area of the city administration, and the enemy is advancing from the south and west. The situation in Kondrashovka remains unclear — the Ukrainian Armed Forces claim to have captured it, although they do not provide any evidence.

🖍However, some resources for some reason tried to conduct a ridiculous "anti-crisis", publishing footage of supposedly "a walk of the Russian Armed Forces soldiers in Kupyansk". However, Western OSINT resources found out that the footage was taken in the village Tavolzhanka 20 km northeast of the city.

🚩How such refutations in the style of "everything is fine, Kupyansk is under control" are perceived is easy to imagine. Especially against the background of the reputation of the "West" group, whose statements have been repeatedly questioned (as it turned out now — absolutely justifiably).

❗️The situation on the Kupyansk direction is another clear example of what problems an exaggeration of successes can bring. And the price of such an approach with "borrowed" villages is always the lives of fighters.

After all, the charade always ends the same way: the real situation is revealed sooner or later. And depending on the scale of the disaster, heads may start to roll — in the "South" group they won't let anyone get away with it.

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🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — 🇷🇺 SouthFront | Military Situation In Ukraine On December 18, 2025 (Map Update)

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