Don's Weekly, 28 July 2025: Part 2

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 1…)

***

Vovchansk

Two Russians are hit by a drone in the southern edge of the wasteland of Vovchansk. There was no further Russian movement in the woods to the west of Vovchansk but the Russians did advance a kilometer by Tykhe.

***

Milove

A Russian airstrike lands near Khatnje. The 127th Territorial Defense Brigade was formed in 2022 and transferred to the Ground Forces from the reserves, and was just reformed as the 127th Heavy Mechanized Brigade. There were clashes but no change in territory.

***

Kupiansk

Drones hit Russian positions on the very northern edge of Kupiansk. Pishchane is hit by a Ukrainian airstrike. A Ukrainian casualty collection point is unable to evacuate a wounded man because of drones. Near Dvorichna, the Russian Volunteer Corps clears a treeline of their countrymen, capturing two of them. Russia continues to expand across the north of Kupiansk and into the northern edge of the town.

A radio intercept told a gruesome story.

***

Terny

The 66th Brigade attacks an assault group on motorcycles west of Nove. Two Russian armored vehicles are destroyed west of Ivanivka by the 60th Brigade. 5 km east of Torske a Russian ground drone is destroyed. In Torske itself, Russian soldiers kill a civilian. A Ukrainian drone tracks them and they are killed with drones and artillery.

A Russian ‘sabotage group’ (colloquially ‘DRG’) reached a point in the Serebrianskyi Forest: their video prompted lots of Russians to claim the entire forest as controlled by them.

…then two sergeants in the 63rd Brigade ZSU discovered the point occupied by the Russians and captured two enemy troops. They found out about another fighting position and engaged the five Russians there. After one was wounded in the arm, they all surrendered. At that point the Ukrainians and their prisoners quickly left to avoid the Russians that are all the time seeking to kill anyone that surrendered.

***

Siversk

Yet another airstrike on Siversk and 8 km to the west a farmer harvests wheat. Russian infantry are seen advancing 1500 meters in the Serebryansky forest, north of Hryhorivka, but time will tell if they held on to this ground.

The K2 drone battalion started working in the Siversk sector while still a part of the 54th Mechanized Brigade, back in May 2023. In December 2024, their effectiveness resulted in their expansion to a regiment, and their increase in size came with an increase in the amount of the front line they were supporting. In March 2025, Russian forces started advancing. Russia gained about as much ground in 5 months as they had in the previous 22 months. There could be multiple reasons for this, one of which might be the dilution of their support in the Siversk sector.

***

Kostiantynivka

A Ukrainian airstrike hits a hangar in Chasiv Yar full of ammo, personnel and vehicles. A Russian airstrike hits a building in the city.

Russian infantry is spotted and attacked in Bila Hora and they display a flag in the village. Russians are attacked 500 meters east of Shcherbynivka. Ukrainian positions one kilometer west of Shcherbynivka are shelled. Lyut Brigade soldiers move in Oleksandro-Kalynove, and the Russians capture Yablunivka. The 36th Brigade attacks Russians around Yablunivka. Russians in Toretsk are hit with heavy drone munitions.

***

(…to be continued…)