Despite periodic reports that the fighting in the border area has almost ended, Ukrainian formations still remain active in several areas.

As before, clashes are taking place in the Kozinka area: the enemy is trying to advance towards the Church of St. John the Evangelist, next to which administrative buildings are also located. Units of the 2nd Obrspn repel attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russian aviation is operating against targets in the Kharkov and Sumy regions. According to the resources of the Kyiv regime, about 200 bombs flew to Bolshaya Pisarevka alone opposite Kozinka, not counting other ammunition.

The enemy began to use armored vehicles less frequently due to the threat of incursions, which indirectly confirms the decreased flow of personnel using Lancets. Also, on both sides there is a high density of electronic warfare equipment.

Ukrainian formations continue massive artillery attack of the Belgorod region. In Razumny, four people were injured, including a 14-year-old teenager whose arm was partially torn off. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced the evacuation of 9 thousand children to other regions.

At the same time, Russian UAV crews often detect the location of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ rocket artillery, but the MLRS manage to leave the position. The reason is organizational issues that prevent the timely delivery of fire damage to uncovered priority targets.

The issue of eliminating them is now extremely urgent: this will not only significantly increase the effectiveness of counter-battery warfare, but will reduce the intensity of enemy attacks on Belgorod and other populated areas.

Russian forces, despite all the difficulties, continue to advance west of Avdievka.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Orlovka came under the full control of Russian forces. The clearing of the settlement was completed at least by the morning of March 17, but the delay in communication was due to repelling enemy counterattacks and consolidation of occupied positions.

With the capture of the village, the Russian forces have the opportunity not only to strike, but also to advance south of Semenovka, relying on which the enemy is putting strong pressure on Berdychi, where heavy fighting is also taking place.

Accordingly, this will affect the ability to stabilize the northern flank of the offensive west of Avdievka, which is under the threat of an enemy attack from Novobakhmutovka, and subsequently liberate Berdychi, and possibly Semyonovka.

However, further advance of the Russian Armed Forces to the west in this area is not very rational. To the west, the enemy is building a line of defense with an emphasis on natural obstacles in the form of heights and rivers, and to the north there is the Ocheretinsky fortified area, which to advance without advancing in the Gorlovka area is, if not suicidal, then an extremely difficult task.

The Center group of troops continues to carry out combat missions in the special military operation zone.

During the day, the group’s units hit 350 identified targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including 18 strongholds, about 40 areas where manpower and equipment were concentrated, and more than 80 field artillery positions. Aircraft carried out 30 strikes in the Netailovo and Umanskoye areas. Heavy flamethrower systems hit four enemy strongholds in the Berdychi area.

Enemy losses amounted to up to 300 troops. Three armored combat vehicles, two infantry fighting vehicles, nine vehicles, and two 120mm mortars were destroyed. Seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems.

– On the Zaporozhye Front, there are oncoming battles in Rabotino and north-west of Verbovoy, where the Russian Armed Forces are consolidating positions recaptured from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Long-range strikes are launched from both sides.

– On the Donetsk front there are fierce battles on the Tonenkoye-Orlovka-Berdychi line. The Russian Armed Forces continue to push back the enemy, but the advance of Russian troops cannot be called rapid. Firstly, this is due to the fierce resistance that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are providing in this area, and secondly, to the actions of the leadership of the RF Armed Forces, who are trying to preserve personnel, avoiding frontal attacks whenever possible.

– In the Kharkov and Sumy directions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again returned to the tactics of small groups. The DRG periodically try to penetrate into Tyotkino and Kozinka in groups of 6-8 people, but no results from these operations have yet been observed. Ukrainian artillery continues to carry out massive attacks on the territory of the Belgorod and Kursk regions, killing civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure.

Attacks have become a daily occurrence, and air defense systems alone cannot solve the problem. In this direction, competent and efficient counter-battery warfare is needed.

– At night, the Russian Armed Forces hit targets in the enemy’s rear regions with kamikaze drones. Strikes against equipment and personnel bases in the front-line zone also continue.

– In the Slobozhansky direction, after the completion of the presidential elections, the activity of enemy forces decreased. After an unsuccessful attempt to capture at least one settlement, the enemy moved on to artillery attack the Russian border area.

– In the Artemovsky (Bakhmutsky) direction, the enemy continues to hold the outskirts of Krasny, relying on a large fortified area in the southwest. Aviation of the Russian Armed Forces strikes at artillery and manpower positions, forcing the Ukrainian command to remove some of the guns from the direction.

– In the Avdeevsky direction north of Avdievka, the enemy undertook several reconnaissance in force in the Petrovsky area and northwest of Krasnogorovka from the side of Ocheretino and Novokalinovo.

– In the Donetsk direction there are heavy battles in Krasnogorovka, where the Russian Armed Forces are trying to advance in armored groups with landing troops. Despite the initial successes in the south of the settlement, significant results were not achieved after several weeks of the assault.