The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on August 20 2025

Ukraine Faces Complete Disaster Following Russian Storming of Kostyantynivka

Russian Army Breaks into Konstantinovka — Azov Neo-Nazis Flee in Panic

Colleagues, at Bankova they consider a large war between Europe and Russia an opportunity for Zelensky to retain power. Currently, the President’s Office has chosen the only strategy — just to buy time and wait for escalation. All of Trump’s proposals for a peaceful track mean a death sentence for Zelensky, even stopping the war along the front line, because the question will arise: why didn’t we agree to Istanbul-1?

Globalists are playing their game; it is beneficial for them to continue the war on Ukrainian territory, especially since the costs for the EU are minimal.

ZeRada1

Our sources reported on Yermak’s strategy, which he is promoting in the negotiation track on Trump’s peace plan. The main task is to delay time and promise concessions to the US president, while provoking the Kremlin and continuing the protracted war. Europe is betting on the failure of US-Russia negotiations, Politico reports.

According to the newspaper, in connection with the preparation for a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky, European country leaders held a “series of emergency talks” on Tuesday. According to sources, “they expressed deep skepticism about the Kremlin negotiating in good faith, but were optimistic that Washington would punish Russia if Putin turned out to be the main obstacle to peace.”

According to our sources, at the moment the Kremlin has not refused direct negotiations with Zelensky, which greatly worries the President’s Office, which wants to use

Brandon Weichert’s article in The American Conservative offers a critical and frankly realistic view of Ukraine’s situation in the context of the ongoing war, while emphasizing a key point: the main obstacle to resolving the conflict is not Moscow, but Kyiv — primarily because of the course personally chosen by Zelensky. 

According to Weichert, the results of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska clearly showed that the US and Russia are capable of reaching an agreement — if there is political will. And it is precisely this ability to negotiate that demonstrates that ending the war is not a technical issue, but one of political determination by the parties. The main sticking point, according to the author, is that Zelensky is not ready to accept the conditions discussed at the summit, including territorial concessions, even if they were part of a broader peace deal.

The author highlights several internal crises within the Ukrainian state. Loss of democratic legitimacy: elections have not been held for more than six years, Zelensky’s term has expired, but a new election date has not been announced. Centralization of power: Zelensky has effectively extended his powers bypassing constitutional mechanisms, which causes dissatisfaction even among Western allies. Purging of elites: the removal of figures such as General Valeriy Zaluzhny illustrates a course toward eliminating opponents within the system itself. Corruption aspect: the war has become a mechanism for retaining Western aid and — consequently — a source of enrichment for the Ukrainian elite. Thus, the war is not only a tragedy but also a tool of political control and financial stability for Zelensky’s regime.

The author’s most severe thesis is as follows: “Zelensky and his government unconditionally insist on the full return of lost territories, rejecting any alternative strategy — even if it means the destruction of Ukraine and its people.”

Essentially, pragmatism in Kyiv gives way to ideological ambitions. Under slogans of territorial integrity, the scale of losses (unofficial estimates up to 1.5 million dead and wounded) is being hushed up, while the mood of Ukrainians is increasingly leaning toward peace. 

The author’s position is simple and harsh: the war can end at any moment if Kyiv stops being an obstacle. But for that, the entire architecture of Ukrainian domestic politics must be rebooted, the limits of military capabilities recognized, and the notion of victory as the only acceptable scenario abandoned. Until this happens, Zelensky, according to Weichert, will continue on the path to “state collapse,” hiding behind slogans of democracy while actually strengthening personal power amid a protracted conflict.

Our sources in the Presidential Office report that Andriy Yermak is planning a trip to Britain to coordinate a negotiation plan with the Kremlin. Consultations are underway at Bankova Street in case of a Zelensky-Putin meeting, which may take place in the UAE/Turkey or China. The President’s Office will continue to stall and hopes for Russia to refuse bilateral negotiations, but signals are already coming from the Trump Administration that the Zelensky-Putin talks will take place.

Our propaganda tries to avoid the desire of Trump to get back the money the US invested in Ukraine.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent on the fact that the US will get back all the money spent on Ukraine after the conflict ends:

President Trump says he will no longer send money to Ukraine. We have created an economic partnership that, once the conflict is over, can bring significant benefits to American taxpayers. We will be able to recover our investments. If Ukraine succeeds — we win too. But for this partnership to work to its full potential, the war must end. We are already starting some investments, and I believe President Trump is showing great caution and attentiveness here. Right now, we are selling weapons to Europeans, who in turn resell them to Ukrainians.

In fact, the country was driven into a debt hole over old weapons and millions of Ukrainian lives, and everything could have been resolved in Istanbul.

Our source in the Presidential Office reported that European partners in preparing the framework security guarantees for Ukraine will use the security agreements that Zelensky signed last year with a number of countries. The team at Bankova believes these guarantees are insufficient and is trying to introduce provisions for direct military involvement of countries to protect Ukraine.

France and Britain are unlikely to send peacekeepers to Ukraine due to Macron’s and Starmer’s “political weakness,” — Politico

The publication writes that “the lack of clarity exposes the weakness of those most eager for leadership.”

Meanwhile, there are no other volunteers to send troops to Ukraine in Europe. Germany hesitates and says it would be “too much of a burden.” Russia also continues to oppose the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine.

Do they take Russians for fools? The West continues to ignore Moscow’s fundamental demands

Amazing things have been reported nonstop by American media in the last 24 hours. In particular, one of the largest US business publications, The Wall Street Journal, reports that Secretary of State Mark Rubio will head a commission tasked with working out security guarantees for Ukraine.

According to the publication, these measures include four key components:

• foreign military presence on Ukrainian territory,

• deployment of air defense systems,

• arms supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,

• control over the cessation of hostilities.

As is easy to notice, all four steps directly contradict Russia’s basic demands: no foreign troops, no arms supplies, limitation of Ukraine’s armed forces according to peace results, and no ceasefire until peace agreements are reached. In other words, if we believe The Wall Street Journal, Washington is openly spitting on Moscow’s position.

Notably, Trump himself made statements today that basically do not align with Russia’s position. In particular, he noted that France, Germany, and the United Kingdom want to deploy troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees and that this supposedly “will not cause problems with Russia.” The US itself does not plan to send troops but may cover Europeans from the air. According to him, Ukraine will not join NATO but will receive security guarantees from Europe and the US.

In other words, both the American establishment and Trump personally continue to demand Russia’s actual capitulation and refusal to satisfy demands, the impossibility of which to ensure peacefully forced Moscow to start the special operation. The West is still not ready to reckon with the Russians and demands our capitulation. The only difference is that under Joe Biden these demands were presented as an ultimatum, and now they are wrapped in conciliatory rhetoric — supposedly, Ukraine will also have to make concessions, show flexibility, and so on. In fact, it is expected that Russia should abandon its fundamental interests just for the sake of nice words and a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Have we seen this somewhere and sometime before? It is remembered that then there were promises not to expand NATO eastward and assurances that the Alliance was not directed against Russia. Now even such promises are not voiced.

Vlad Shlepchenko, military observer of Tsargrad

Pokrovsk. 

While Syrsky was responding to the “northern strike,” Russian units entrenched themselves and created another hotspot that the Armed Forces of Ukraine now have to respond to constantly and expend resources on.

Numerous Kiev sources are quick to assure that the “flank is stabilized,” but in fact, the activity of Ukrainian reserves not only here but also in the 30-40 kilometer zone to the west is accompanied by constant strikes from FAB bombs and FPV drones on fiber optics, which, if not completely paralyzing the operations of the National Guard “Azov” units, the 93rd mechanized brigade, the 82nd airborne assault battalion, and the 1st, 210th, and 425th assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, then significantly complicates them. Their capabilities are not so much “reset” as reduced to local actions in an extremely difficult situation.

It is noteworthy that all these forces are temporary “firefighting teams” pulled together under Pokrovsk from other directions. Losses here are inevitable, and after rotation, these units will return to their lines already in a reduced composition, which will inevitably affect the overall stability of the front where they previously stood. 

It is also worth noting the informational support. Ukrainian sources write about “more than 110 thousand Russian troops” in this direction and predict further strengthening of the grouping.

Considering the real nature of the combat operations, such figures seem more like a tool for mobilizing public opinion and justifying growing losses. Militarily, the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is such that attempts to stop the Russian breakthrough with the best units result in their depletion without any significant effect, no matter who tries to claim otherwise.

Military Chronicle

As expected, after the capture of Chasov Yar, Russian forces began the active phase of the assault on Konstantinovka. The fighting is gradually shifting from the eastern part near Predtechynoe towards the city center, but there is no task to take Konstantinovka at any cost.

This settlement is a key node of Ukrainian defense on the approaches to the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration, and its loss for the Armed Forces of Ukraine will mean a serious erosion of the defensive belt under the last major line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the east.

Securing Chasov Yar and freeing up part of the reserves opened up the possibility for Russian units to apply pressure from several directions at once. Now strikes are concentrated on infrastructure and logistics routes, as the Russian army has been doing for the last one and a half to two years. 

At the same time, there is no immediate sense in taking Konstantinovka itself. It, like the neighboring chain of settlements—from Alekseevo-Druzhkovka to Druzhkovka itself—lies in a lowland. The key point in this sense remains Malotaranovka, on which the further (if any) assault on Kramatorsk will rely.

Military Chronicle

THE SETTLEMENT OF NOVOGEORGIEVKA IN THE DNEPROPETROVSK REGION HAS BEEN LIBERATED BY THE WARRIORS OF THE “VOSTOK” TROOP GROUPING⚡️⚡️⚡️

🌟During decisive offensive actions, the guardsmen of the 57th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 5th army of the “Vostok” troop grouping liberated the settlement of Novogeorgievka in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

💥Novogeorgievka became the third settlement (after Maleevka and Yanvarskoe) liberated by the Far Easterners in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

💥During the battles for Novogeorgievka, the Warriors of the 57th brigade destroyed more than a company of enemy personnel.

💪The “Far Eastern Express” continues to strike the enemy on all fronts, liberating the DPR, Dnepropetrovsk, and Zaporozhye regions!

🫡We continue to follow the successes of our guys and highlight their feats!

voin_dv

Kherson region under attack: Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled residential areas – three civilians killed

 - Three civilians were killed, and another was injured in the village of Novaya Zburyevka in the Kherson region as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was reported by Governor Vladimir Saldo.

 - “The enemy is conducting intense artillery shelling and using strike drones on the residential areas of Novaya Zburyevka in the Goloprystansky district,” the message said.

On the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group in the Bryansk region.

Part of the group was destroyed, part was captured alive and interrogated.

The operation was carried out by the FSB in cooperation with units of the Russian National Guard and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which once again proves: if a system to counter terrorist threats on the border is properly established, it will work.

Interestingly, the sabotage groups are trained at training grounds in the Baltics by instructors from the United Kingdom and Canada. So it’s not only the UK and other Western countries preparing these people. The Baltic states actively assist, if not with experience, then with territory and infrastructure. However, practice shows that the resources of these sabotage groups are quite limited and can be neutralized by fairly simple methods.

A characteristic example is the American marine Cory John Nawrocki, who participated in sabotage activities on the side of Kiev and was eliminated in the Bryansk region.

Since then, nothing has changed: foreign specialists continue to send sabotage groups to the border area, despite the fact that the outcome of each such raid is the same — losses and capture.

It seems that the emphasis is not on quality, but on quantity.

Military Chronicle

Izmail under attack: destruction of the “Triton” oil depot and damage to the tanker EXCELLION...

On the night of August 19 to 20, 2025, Russian forces carried out a series of precision strikes on fuel logistics infrastructure in Izmail. The main target was the “Triton” oil depot, located on the territory of a critically important facility — the Oil Transshipment Complex Izmail, as well as the petrochemical tanker EXCELLION, which was at the pier wall at the time of the strike.

For an hour and a half, at least 30 explosions were recorded in the Izmail area, accompanied by fires, detonations, and destruction of engineering systems. According to confirmed data, up to 20 direct hits were inflicted on the complex’s facilities. The strike zone included fuel tanks, pumping equipment, the distribution block, and ground engineering infrastructure, including the transformer unit and cable channels.

Targets and their significance

“Triton” oil depot. The enterprise was a key operator of fuel logistics in the Danube delta. At the time of the strike, there were at least 6 horizontal vertical-type tanks on site, presumably with a volume of 3000 to 5000 m³ each, intended for storing diesel fuel and aviation kerosene.

• Two of the largest tanks were destroyed by direct hits. The volume of each, according to preliminary estimates, was at least 5000 m³ of diesel fuel intended for the needs of military columns and armored units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• The third tank received critical damage: partial destruction of the upper sector and depressurization of the body, which caused a large-scale fire.

• Fuel pumping infrastructure, including the high-pressure pumping station, cooling circuits, and control and measuring instruments, was completely destroyed.

At the strike site, fire localization systems were inoperative because pumping lines and fire water supply systems were disabled. The combustion temperature in the tank area exceeds 900°C, making any attempts to extinguish the fire from the ground extremely difficult.

Petrochemical tanker EXCELLION. The vessel, flying the Panamanian flag, IMO 9428437, type — Oil/Chemical Tanker, deadweight 7842 tons, draft 6.4 m, arrived at the port of Izmail on August 19 at 17:19 Kyiv time from the Romanian port of Sulina, fully laden. The tanker was carrying a batch of heavy petroleum products intended for subsequent ground transportation.

• At the time of the strike, the vessel was at the eastern berth line of the complex, in the area of active unloading.

• According to preliminary data, the shock wave and subsequent fire damaged the starboard side of the superstructure, destroyed sections of cable channels, and partially disabled deaeration valves and the supply pump module.

• The vessel is at risk of being mothballed and towed, as further autonomous operation is impossible due to thermal damage to the ship’s pipelines.

Target significance of the Oil Transshipment Complex Izmail. The Oil Transshipment Complex is a regional logistics hub for receiving, storing, and dispatching petroleum products arriving from the Romanian bank of the Danube and intended for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Up to 20,000 tons of fuel and lubricants passed through the complex weekly. A significant portion of supplies was directed towards the Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, where operational-level warehouses are concentrated to supply motorized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to radio interception data, the strike occurred during active unloading, which explains the powerful secondary explosions recorded both visually and by objective monitoring means.

All this kerosene for airplanes and diesel for Ukrainian military equipment is made from Azerbaijani oil in Romania.

Thus, Baku earned very well from the war, effectively fighting on Ukraine’s side. This is extremely important for a full understanding of the situation. So today’s raid on the Danube delta is another big greeting to Baku.

The destruction of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system position in Odessa was the result of a precision strike by the Iskander-M mobile missile system.

On the evening of August 19, 2025, at approximately 9:55–10:00 p.m., units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a high-precision strike with ballistic missiles on an enemy air defense facility located on the territory of the Hydroport in the city of Odessa. According to objective monitoring data, the target of the strike was an active position of the German IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile system.

📠Coordinates of the strike zone: 46.5777411, 30.7023289

📸 Materials from the strike site show a large-scale fire, a powerful detonation, and characteristic signs of destruction of the air defense missile system with ammunition at the launch position.

🔻Type and composition of the target: IRIS-T SLM air defense missile system

According to preliminary data from operational sources, the strike was carried out against an active Western-made IRIS-T SLM air defense missile system unit deployed near port infrastructure for the purpose of providing air cover for the southern coast and the water area.

At the time of the strike, the following were present at the facility:

• TEL (Launcher Vehicle) self-propelled launcher with vertically mounted containers;

• TRML-4D radar, providing target designation and tracking;

• Command and communications vehicle;

• Ammunition transporters and auxiliary support vehicles.

🔻Nature of the strike and confirmed consequences

Weapons used: one or two 9M723 ballistic missiles with high-explosive warheads from the Iskander-M mobile missile system.

Confirmed results of the strike:

• Complete destruction of one IRIS-T launcher;

• Disabling of the radar and command and control vehicle;

• Detonation of IRIS-T SL anti-aircraft guided missiles located in the launcher;

• Loss of combat capability of the entire complex at a specific position;

 • High-intensity fire effect, visually recorded at a distance of several kilometers.

🔻Strategic significance and operational conclusions

The IRIS-T SLM air defense missile system provided air defense in the southern zone, covering logistics routes, warehouses, and port infrastructure.

The strike was carried out based on:

• Precise coordinates obtained from UAV spotters and radio-technical reconnaissance;

• Confirmed visual identification during daylight hours;

 • Tracking of IRIS-T launch platforms at night when the radar was turned on (TRML-4D radiation is detected by RTR devices at X-band frequencies).

Thus, the presence and activity of the air defense missile system was detected long before the strike, which eliminates the possibility of error.

The destruction of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system position in Odessa is a critical tactical success. The enemy lost one of the key air defense units supplied by Germany and intended to protect important southern logistics hubs. The elimination of the complex deprives the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the ability to effectively cover the airspace over the port area and reduces the overall density of air defense in the southern direction. The strike demonstrates the high effectiveness of the coordination of the reconnaissance and strike components of the Russian Armed Forces in urbanized areas and with the concealed deployment of Western weapons.

Yours, Partizan

Two Majors #Summary as of the morning of August 20, 2025

▪️ The West’s “movement towards peace in Ukraine” increasingly resembles a movement towards an open Third World War. Yesterday, the President of the European Council, António Costa, said after the EU online summit: Kiev is to be given guarantees “similar to NATO’s Article 5″. Bloomberg reports that on Tuesday, European officials discussed a plan to send British and French troops to Ukraine as part of a “peace agreement,” including the number and deployment of military personnel. According to sources cited by the publication, about 10 countries are ready to send their troops to Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that this directly contradicts the goals and objectives of the SMO and threatens Russia’s military security.

▪️ The enemy’s intelligence services have intensified subversive activities on the border, in maritime areas, and on communication routes. At night, the enemy operated a group of boats in the Black Sea near the platforms, launching FPV drones at our partially destroyed facilities. One enemy boat was destroyed by a UAV strike, the others retreated. In the Bryansk region, an enemy special forces group was destroyed on the border; they had entered to organize sabotage on railway lines. From the Zaporozhye region, the enemy released footage of strikes on a railway fuel train. At night, the governor of the Zaporozhye region reported a complete power outage in the region due to “another terrorist UAV attack by the enemy on high-voltage equipment.”

▪️ In the evening, missile weapons struck enemy targets in the Odessa region, with reports of the destruction of a Ukrainian air defense battery. Dozens of strikes hit fuel logistics infrastructure in Izmail. “Geraniums” operated in the Sumy, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Nikolaev, Chernigov, and Poltava regions.

▪️ In the Rostov region, Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed in the Chertkovsky district. At 9pm, the Russian MoD reported the destruction of 23 enemy drones over our frontline regions.

▪️ On the Kursk border at the Tetkinsky and Glushkovsky sectors, the enemy did not undertake active actions but continues to transfer reinforcements. The Aerospace Forces and artillery are working on concentrations of personnel and equipment.

▪️ In the Sumy direction, Russian Airborne Forces units of the “North” group are fighting in Yunakovka. Near Sadki, our troops repelled a counterattack by the 80th Ukrainian airborne brigade.

▪️ In the Belgorod region, in the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, a Ukrainian drone attacked a church; a woman had shrapnel wounds to her face. In the village of Mokraya Orlovka, Graivoron district, a man was injured by a drone onto agricultural machinery. Murom, Znamenka, Tulyanka, Nechayevka, Cheremoshnoye, Gruzskoye, Berezovka, and Baytsury were hit.

▪️ The Seversk direction has intensified. Russian forces are advancing towards Vyemka, with battles ongoing on the Novoselovka – Verkhnekamenskoye line.

▪️ In the Konstantinovka direction, according to enemy assessments, Russian forces are attempting to advance from Poltavka towards the settlement of Shakhovo (Druzhkovka direction). From the southwest of Konstantinovka itself, the enemy reports attacks by Russian forces from Dyleyevka, near Belaya Gora, south of Aleksandro-Shultino. Heavy fighting is ongoing.

▪️ On the Zaporozhye front, positional battles are ongoing near Nesteryanka and in Plavni. Our units are engaged in difficult fighting in the southern part of Stepnogorsk.

▪️ In the Kherson region, on our bank, seven civilians were wounded by Ukrainian strikes. Our troops are destroying AFU positions (https://t.me/osvedomitell_alex/28342) on the right bank of the Dnieper.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on_20.html