The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on May 21 2025

Russian Forces Capture 35 SQKM | Loknya & Vekhnokamyanske Captured

Total Collapse of Ukrainian Forces in Pokrovsk – Entire Brigade Abandons Positions!

100,000 Russian Troops Just Deployed – Ukraine Is Taking Massive Losses!

Russia’s Military Strategy in Ukraine

Zelensky personally drove Ukraine into a situation in which the US is beginning to build a separate track of agreements with Moscow.

Zelensky’s months of public attacks on Trump have led to him openly distancing himself from the military conflict in Ukraine and making no secret of his willingness to cooperate with Putin. According to Axios, after a conversation with the Russian leader, Trump told the Europeans and Zelensky that he would not impose new sanctions against Russia because Putin was allegedly ready to present realistic conditions for ending the war.

Moreover, the US does not intend to participate in the negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, which many in Europe saw as a step towards a de facto refusal to act as a mediator. In response to the statement about direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the participants in the conversation hung in silence. Zelensky tried to remind that the idea of ​​a 30-day ceasefire initially came from Trump himself, but there was no specific answer. When the conversation turned to new sanctions, Trump made it clear that it was not the time. He wants to see an offer from Moscow that can be accepted, not rejected out of hand.

And against this background, it is Zelensky who now looks like an irritating factor in the case of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

When the President’s Office gets used to the international track being formed on the basis of emotional diplomacy, rather than rational methods of communication, the result is obvious to everyone. 

Zelensky’s attempt to persuade Trump to his side failed, writes The Wall Street Journal. 

The publication notes that Zelensky has already agreed to a temporary ceasefire proposed by Trump, and also signed an agreement on mineral resources with the United States. In addition, he flew to Turkey for the negotiations he called on Putin to hold. 

Even this approach brought Zelensky almost nothing, WSJ believes. After yesterday’s conversation with Putin, Trump again switched to the sequence of actions to end the war proposed by the head of the Kremlin, and also softened his position towards Moscow.

The threats of the Europeans and Zelensky about the most serious anti-Russian sanctions turned out to be unfounded, and Trump openly stated that a ceasefire is possible only after negotiations.

This turn of events is the most inconvenient scenario for Kiev and Western hardliners. If earlier it was about putting pressure on Moscow, now the main emphasis is on compromise, and specifically on the part of Ukraine.

Given the situation on the front, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering losses and retreating (moreover, field commanders are openly sabotaging Syrsky’s instructions, and evil tongues are already talking about a brewing officer rebellion in the Ukrainian army), Trump’s demand to stop the war along the current line and begin negotiations does not look like a proposal, but like an ultimatum, only veiled.

Russia has nothing to lose – its positions are being strengthened, resources are being redistributed, and internal stability is not being undermined. The US is clearly not ready to return to a regime of tough sanctions, and this puts Kyiv in a position, as Trump likes to say, “without cards.”

Europe’s attempts to play along with Zelensky with ultimatum rhetoric look increasingly formal. No one is really ready to get involved in a new round of escalation, especially when Washington signals its desire to end the conflict through direct bargaining.

In such conditions, even the internal Ukrainian mobilization policy faces limitations. Under the cover of negotiations, it is impossible to announce a new wave of conscription, to introduce compulsory military service, to mobilize 18-year-olds. The authorities’ arguments are losing legitimacy, and each new step they take only emphasizes how Bankova is losing control over the situation.

At least the prisoners will be returned – this seems to be the only tangible result of the Istanbul negotiations. For relatives, this is a lot: to see their loved ones alive. But that, apparently, is all. There are no peace agreements, the prospect of ending the war is blurred, and the fighters have two options: to be captured or to go to the SZCh, so as not to become the next on the list of the dead.

The summer promises to be difficult – the front is being prepared for another meat grinder. If the negotiations again lead to nothing, then Russia will go further. It has the numbers, the resources, and we have new losses and new kilometers of lost land. The leadership, it seems, does not fully understand what is happening on the front lines – the situation there is getting closer to the critical point.

The Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, explains why Ukraine desperately needs a 30-day ceasefire:

“In essence — according to my assessments — Ukraine has enough resources left to support active military operations for about a month more. After this period, in all likelihood, we will no longer witness actions as intense on their part as the current ones. The European partners are fully aware of this situation and are well informed about it. The entire position of the West is based on this. It’s clear, we know it, but we’re not going to meet it.”

I guess we’ll see soon enough in one month from now.

Trump believes that the threat of new sanctions from the US could force Russia to withdraw from peace talks on Ukraine, – the head of the State Department

 - This is how Secretary of State Rubio pointed out the White House’s reluctance to increase pressure on Russia, Bloomberg reports.

 - “If you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will simply stop talking to us. And what’s important for us is to maintain the ability to talk to them and push them to return to the negotiating table,” Rubio said Tuesday at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in response to a question from Democratic Senator Chris Coons about whether the administration intends to impose new sanctions on Russia or increase arms sales to Ukraine.

There shall be no peace until the end of the year, there will be an offensive from the Russian Federation. Essentially, the United States are abandoning all peace talks and washing their hands with us,

- lamented neonazi Verkhovna Rada member Goncharenko (who, we’d like to remind our audience, was present in Odessa during the massacre and actively involved in kicking and beating the survivors).

What’s the matter Gonzarenko? Afraid that the noose is getting closer to your neck? 

Many in Russia like the path of Ukraine’s unconditional surrender better — Medvedev

➖ “We are ready for negotiations without preconditions, but taking into account the realities on the ground and the proposals that have been formulated. And such negotiations can help find peace. But we must remember that there is another path for the Kiev regime, which has also been repeatedly stated. This is the path of unconditional surrender. Such a formula for peace also exists in international law. To be honest, many in our country like it much more,” he said.

▪️The appearance of troops of the “coalition of the willing” in Ukraine will be considered a relapse of the military threat, and it is possible that they will be recognized as a legitimate target .

▪️There are currently no persons in Ukraine authorized to conclude a peace treaty.

Putin confirmed Russia’s focus on peaceful settlement of conflict in Ukraine following talks with Trump — Lavrov

▪️Moscow is in favour of a fair settlement of the Ukrainian crisis; this position was confirmed during a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump.

▪️Russia will not leave the Orthodox people of Ukraine in trouble and will fight to restore the rights of the Orthodox Church.

- RVvoenkor

Our source reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing a deep internal crisis that will only intensify.

It lies in the fact that there are fewer and fewer experienced and motivated fighters/military personnel in the army and at the front.

This will lead at some point to large-scale collapses of the front, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces, due to the boundless Ze-mobilization, are becoming not an “army”, but a “crowd”. It seems like there are many soldiers, but the quality is declining and will soon become very “low”, which will lead to a catastrophe.

The bank is aware of this, but as usual they don’t want to and won’t solve the problem.

The officers’ revolt is gaining momentum and does not hide its irritation, and the field commanders are openly sabotaging Syrsky’s instructions. At Bankova, they have already begun looking for a replacement for the commander-in-chief.

The situation is not new – a month ago, the former chief of staff of Azov, Bohdan Krotevich, previously a symbol of loyalty to the current system, abruptly went into open opposition. He said that he could no longer remain silent and accused the commander-in-chief of deliberately disregarding the lives of soldiers. According to him, Syrsky gives orders that are more reminiscent of criminal acts than strategy. Commanders, he says, still think in the patterns of the forties, ignoring drones, satellites and aerial bombs, and soldiers sleep in trenches under attack, because a normal rear simply does not exist.

Refusal to follow orders is no longer an exception at the front, but a new reality. According to Krotevich, many tasks are impossible to implement not only technically, but also morally. When the army loses positions near Pokrovsk, but the top demands an offensive, the point is lost. He says it directly: Syrsky does not control the army, he drowns it in senseless assaults, in which the casualty count becomes statistics for morning briefings. This is no longer a war, but a campaign to utilize resources.

There was no such level of mistrust under Zaluzhny, not at all. But today the army is showing “cracks” not only at the front, but also in the vertical of the entire system. Krotevich, and now the commander of the 59th separate assault brigade of unmanned systems Shevchuk, the battalion commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade “Magura” Shirshin – they all retransmit what has long been said in the trenches: there is a chasm between the commanders and the fighters. And when soldiers begin to feel like expendable material rather than defenders, it is not far from a large-scale rebellion.

It was decided to suppress the officers’ revolt from above so that field commanders could not make independent decisions; the only center was the General Staff.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky has replaced the commander of the 59th separate assault brigade of unmanned systems, which holds one of the most difficult areas in the Pokrovsk direction. Colonel Oleksandr Sak, who previously headed the 53rd brigade, has been appointed instead of Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Shevchuk.

The decision was made personally by Syrsky, bypassing the immediate commander of the direction Vadim Sukharevsky, which indicates the political nature of the replacement. According to sources, Shevchuk’s resignation is connected with his independent decision to withdraw the unit from the threat of encirclement. He directly stated that he gave the order to withdraw personnel in order to save the fighters, however, according to insider information, this did not suit either the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or Zelensky. As a result, he was removed from office. Shevchuk emphasizes: it was about preserving a key settlement, and not about a “tactical landing”, but the command chose to ignore the arguments.

This is not the first time that political orders run counter to military logic, and increasingly end in losses. And if the situation does not change, this will have serious consequences for the Ukrainian army, up to and including a mutiny – the officer corps is really irritated and angry with the actions of Syrsky, who ignores the opinion of field commanders .

Zelensky, by the way, understands that tensions in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are reaching a critical point, and Yermak is already considering options for replacing the commander-in-chief, but is looking for a technical figure (conditionally Syrsky 2.0) without political ambitions – so as not to repeat the story with Zaluzhny.

The officer rebellion becomes the main problem for Bankova, which is unable to solve the problem with the Commander-in-Chief, since Andrei Ermak, on the one hand, needs a weak commander-in-chief, and on the other hand, must have authority among the combat commanders.

MediaKiller2021

In Madrid, Spain, there has been another contract killing.

Andrey Portnov was killed in front of his children. The killer shot him brazenly and then left. Spain, like Europe, is no longer safe.

The media is publishing two versions that the police are investigating.

“There are currently two open lines of investigation: organised crime settling of scores or political activity.”

Everyone knows that Portnov was in a tough conflict with Ukrainian circles associated with the US Democratic Party. The latter demanded sanctions against him and threatened other measures. He also recently had a conflict with Bankova and Zelensky personally. According to rumors, the Office were afraid that Portnov could pass on some documents/compromising information on Zelensky’s entire entourage to Trump’s team.

According to sources, a Ukrainian trace may emerge in the Portnov murder case, since the SBU and the GUR formed execution lists of former Ukrainian politicians back in 2023 and are methodically carrying out the assigned tasks. In the last year, our special services have been actively using representatives of criminal structures to carry out such tasks.

Colleagues, you are right that Portnov knew a lot, but in Ukraine this is not surprising, but the documents he had were a strong argument for liquidation. At the same time, Portnov himself did not blackmail Bankova and believed that he had agreed on his safety, which is why he moved without a guard.

ZeRada

The globalist press is trying to convince its readers that the Russian Armed Forces have slowed down the pace of their offensive.

In reality, everything is completely the opposite. Ukraine’s losses are high, we published that May could become a record for the loss of Ukrainian Armed Forces territories and manpower, but apparently the globalists have the opposite task. They need to convince everyone that everything is fine, even at the expense of their image.

 Bloomberg: Despite Putin’s confidence in continuing the war in Ukraine and achieving Moscow’s goals, the pace of Russian military advances has slowed significantly since the beginning of the year. For example, the Russian army has advanced and occupied Ukraine at a rate of 41 square kilometers per week since the beginning of the year, compared to 125 square kilometers between August and the end of 2024. Since the beginning of the year, Russia has occupied “only” 0.15% of Ukraine’s territory.

Now, after this, trust the honest Western press.

Ukrainian propagandists are in a panic: “Geraniums” have become almost twice as powerful

▪️The enemy reports that Russian attack drones are now equipped with a 90-kilogram warhead, rather than the 50 kg previously.

▪️They claim that the warhead now combines 4 types of damage:

➖Cumulative action – breaks through walls and ceilings.

➖The effect of the fragments – hundreds of metal fragments fly around.

➖High explosive action – a powerful blast wave capable of destroying structures and knocking down walls.

➖Incendiary effect – the UAV can cause a fire even if the object is not completely destroyed.

Against the backdrop of the advance of the Russian Armed Forces near Konstantinovka, Western analysts are increasingly acknowledging that there could be several strikes in this area and that they could all eventually reassemble into a new operational configuration of the front.

A breach of Ukrainian defense here could trigger a massive retreat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the central part of Donbass and a transition to the next phase – the battle for Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.

In this scheme, Konstantinovka is the first and most important castle on the gates of the defensive line, and Druzhkovka is the main barrier closing the Kramatorsk agglomeration.

The loss of this area breaks the front, leaves the flank of Chasov Yar unprotected (which will also have to be abandoned in case of success of the Russian Armed Forces) and nullifies the operational connection with Slavyansk. The Ukrainian Armed Forces understand this – and therefore cling to every stronghold.

In parallel, as an alternative or synchronous direction, a possible attempt to encircle Pokrovsk is being discussed – through a strike on Dobropolye – a major logistics hub through which supplies are sent to the entire Ukrainian group to the east. The loss of Dobropolye will only accelerate the collapse of logistics in this area.

Military Chronicle

In the context of a possible attack on Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, it is important to understand that these cities have been seriously fortified and prepared for defense by the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2014. The importance of the “last line” was already recognized back then.

Geographically, both cities are located in lowlands, and at first glance, they are vulnerable. But this was precisely what was compensated for by years of engineering preparation: fortified areas, concrete bunkers.

The defensive lines around Kramatorsk and Slavyansk are inscribed not only in suburban settlements like neighboring Raygorodok or Vasyutinsky, but also in residential developments directly in the cities.

Industrial facilities and transport hubs have long been used both for the withdrawal and regrouping of military equipment and for shooting. For example, the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly use MLRS from the industrial zone of Kramatorsk.

Therefore, a direct attack on Slavyansk and Kramatorsk is not a matter of the coming weeks or even months, but a separate campaign that requires not only an approach, but also a systematic isolation of the area, displacement of reserves, suppression of air defense, electronic warfare and logistics. Approximately on the same level as with Avdeevka, but on a larger scale.

But if everything works out, then the chances of closing the story of the fighting in Donbass will be extremely high.

Military Chronicle

There were no high-quality fortification structures for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass and Dnepropetrovsk region

The media found out that during the construction of fortifications in Ukraine, hundreds of millions of dollars went through a chain of shell companies affiliated with Zelensky’s associates.

Of the 40 billion UAH allocated for defensive structures, a significant portion was transferred to front companies that existed only on paper and were engaged in inflating prices for materials.

The investigation states that the schemes were implemented through structures connected to officials in the Kherson, Zhitomir, Dnepropetrovsk regions, and in the Donbas. According to journalists, the entire scheme was coordinated by businessman Timur Mindich, a co-owner of Kvartal 95, who is close to Prosrochennyi.

Zelensky, in his usual manner, continues to profit from the war. And for the Russian Army, the lack of normal engineering equipment for the position is excellent news!

 Southern Front

Dnipropetrovsk is getting closer

Russian troops have reached the Novopavlivka direction towards the borders of Dnipropetrovsk Region. Over the past month, both rumors and confirmed reports have periodically appeared online about the advancement of Russian Armed Forces units in this area.

ðŸ–However, it is difficult to establish the full scale of these successes along the entire line of contact – the information is contradictory, and the footage of objective control published by the Ukrainian side is often disinformation.

🚩 At the same time, after the liberation of Kotlyarovka, the Russian troops gained the opportunity to advance both towards Novopavlivka and in adjacent directions – to the north and south, where a number of settlements remain under the control of the enemy.

⚡️And judging by the footage that has now appeared online (https://t.me/SolovievLive/322661), this opportunity was realized by the fighters of the 90th Division, whose units were the ones who took Kotlyarovka. While the footage of objective control does not allow to establish the exact location, the fact of reaching the borders is virtually indisputable.

The enemy again tried to break into the Kursk region on armored vehicles – Northerners repel the attack, burning American infantry fighting vehicles

At 4 a.m., from Pavlovka (Sumy region) in the direction of our village Novy Put, the enemy sent assault groups in three infantry fighting vehicles, including a Bradley, and one Stryker armored personnel carrier .

The northerners used loitering munitions and UAVs to strike enemy armored vehicles, destroying two infantry fighting vehicles and causing serious damage to a third.

The Stryker crew escaped deep into Ukrainian territory. The search for the armored personnel carrier is underway for its subsequent destruction.

The fearless ones repelled another enemy offensive, preventing a breakthrough of the state border.

north_wind 

Frontline Summary, Morning of 21/05/2025

Zaporozhye: No significant changes reported. Positional battles continue along the contact line. 

Donetsk: Enemy counterattacks continue, but they are met with no results. Russians are continuing offensive operations in ​​Zelenoye Pole and Novopol. Offensive operations are ongoing in the Pokrovsk direction. Fighting continues in Udachnoye, Kotlino, and the surrounding areas. The Khokols are putting up strenuous resistance in the village of Zverevo, which overlooks a series of hills. 

Chasov Yar: The enemy is throwing whatever resources they have left in a desperate attempt to slow down Russian advances. As a result, there are no relevant territorial changes, but the initiative firmly remains in the hands of the RUAF.

Sumy: There are reports of Russian troops advancing in the Loknya area. There are ongoing clashes for Belovody. The AFU are still throwing everything they have at Tyoktino and surrounding areas in combat reconnaissance operations and attacks, and getting regularly destroyed.

Sourced from WarGonzo.

Morning Summary on May 21, 2025

▪️ Overnight, there were reports of air defense activity over Ryazan and Tula Regions. The “Carpet” plan was activated at airports in Kaluga, as well as in Tunoshna (Yaroslavl) and Sokerkino (Kostroma). There were also reports of a drone attack in the city of Bolkhov in Oryol Region. The regional governor reported 11 drones destroyed.

▪️ Our “Geran” drones struck two enterprises in Sumy, causing power outages. Explosions were also heard in Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, and Poltava Regions.

▪️ On the Kursk direction, two enemy groups on three ATVs were destroyed near Ryzhevka, opposite Tyotkino. One reconnaissance group was destroyed near Pavlivka. In the area of Shostka, Sumy Region, a strike by the “Iskander” OTRK hit a field training camp of the 1st separate special forces brigade of the AFU, causing a scandal in the Ukrainian segment – losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, including 20 instructors.

▪️ In Belgorod Region, a UAV attacked a GAZelle in the village of Nezhegol, injuring the driver. In the Tserkovny farm, two women were injured as a result of an explosive device dropped from a UAV on an agricultural enterprise. Strikes hit Zadorozhny, Solokhi, Ustinka, Saltykov, Murom, Urazovo, Dolgoye, and Kukuyevka.

▪️ On the Siversk direction, Russian forces are advancing north of Verkhnekamenskoye. The situation on other sections of the line of contact remains unchanged.

▪️ On the Konstantinovka direction, north of Toretsk (Dzerzhynsk), the Russian Armed Forces are conducting offensive operations. Southwest, our forces are advancing towards Popov Yar, Yablonovka, Zara, and Hnatovka, as well as in the area of Old Nikolaevka and Romanovka. The pocket from Aleksandropol to Old Nikolaevka has been marked as a “gray zone” on the enemy’s maps – the AFU are losing control of the territory as our troops advance.

▪️ On the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian Army is straightening out the front line near the city: areas between Green Field and Kalinovo, as well as partially between Kalinovo and Valentynovka, have been taken under control.

▪️ On the South Donetsk direction, the “Vostok” grouping repelled counterattacks by the enemy near Otradnoye and Komar, with the enemy not sparing American M-113 APCs and “Senator” armored vehicles to slow down our advance. Attacks by the AFU near Green Field and Novopol were also repelled. At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces continue to advance near Otradnoye, in Green Field and Novopol itself.

▪️ On the Zaporizhia front, positional battles continue in the area of Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriyivka, Shcherbaky, and Kamianske.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on-may_21.html