[RBC Ukraine] Ukrainian special operations forces operators cleared Russian positions on the front. Most of the enemies were eliminated, the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine report.
Operators of the 3rd Regiment of the Special Operations Forces carried out a successful clearing operation in an area where, according to intelligence, more than ten Russian servicemen were located.
The warriors stealthily moved through the thickets and made close contact with the enemy.
"We noticed a dugout and heard voices coming from there. We immediately opened fire," said SOF operator Rudia.
As a result of the combat, most of the enemy were eliminated, and several special operations forces soldiers surrendered.
After the coordinates of enemy positions were clarified, bomber drone crews also struck them.
SOF special operations on front in Ukraine
Earlier, a group of SOF Ukrainian fighters came from the rear and carried out a lightning raid on an enemy position near the border with Russia.
Soldiers of the 6th Separate SOF Regiment Ranger also carried out a successful raid on enemy positions in one of the combat zones. During the operation, they managed to capture prisoners, thereby replenishing the exchange fund.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] In more than a thousand days of war against Ukraine, the Russians have occupied less than 1% of Ukrainian territory. That doesn’t seem right…
Over the last 1010 days of the war, Russian troops have occupied less than 1% of Ukraine's territory, the analytical project DeepState reported on Sunday, August 17.
"Starting from November 12, 2022 (occupied as of date - 108,651 sq. km) to today (114,493 sq. km), the enemy has occupied 5,842 sq. km of Ukrainian territory. This is 0.96781% of the entire area of the Ukrainian state within internationally recognized borders," the statement says.
Analysts explained that the Russians had great success in the first days of the full-scale invasion. But thanks to the offensive operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the north of the country, in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, it was possible to recapture most of it.
"After November 12, 2022, the enemy continued active offensive actions, which, with minor interruptions, continue to this day," the statement said.
Recall that the US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russia had made concessions on its demand for a "territory swap" with Ukraine. He declined to provide specific details, but suggested that the Kremlin is now considering a "territory swap" on the current front lines , rather than on the administrative borders of at least some of the five regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that negotiations with Russia to end the war should take place along the current line of contact and is ready to discuss territorial issues only with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia meeting.
#2
That 5,842 sq. km (0.967 / 1%) of Ukrainian territory has cost the US Taxpayers $182+ Billion.
BTW: As we previously read. $$M of the 2022+ Ukraine $$$B aid has reached certain DC Swamp & Elite pockets via back channel donations and other funneling & laundrying processes. So when will the DOJ & IG look into this ?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] In particular, stabilization actions continue in the direction of the city of Dobropillya in Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces have achieved success in several areas of Donetsk and Sumy regions, liberating a number of settlements and inflicting significant losses on the Russian occupiers. This was reported by the General Staff on Sunday, August 17.
Thus, from August 4 to 16, as a result of joint actions of units and subdivisions of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which are part of the 1st Corps of the NGU Azov, the following settlements were cleared in the Donetsk region: Gruzskoye, Rubezhnoye, Novovodanoye, Petrovka, Vesyoloye, Zolotoy Kolodets.
Overall, as a result of active operations in the corps' operational zone, the enemy suffered significant losses in manpower. According to data as of August 16, they amount to:
As noted, the enemy lost a significant amount of equipment and weapons: eight tanks of Russian troops, six combat armored vehicles, 103 units of motor vehicles and motorcycles, one MLRS, 18 guns and 91 UAVs of various types were destroyed and damaged.
At present, stabilization actions are continuing in the direction of the city of Dobropillya in Donetsk region.
"The occupiers continue to surrender. Units of the 19th Army Corps operating in Donetsk region have captured 6 Russian servicemen in the past 24 hours alone," the statement added.
The General Staff also noted that this week, the 7th Corps of the Airborne Assault Troops and related units cleared the city of Pokrovsk of enemy groups and individual occupiers.
While over the past 24 hours, as a result of active actions in the Severo-Slobodskoye direction, Ukrainian units have advanced forward in several locations , in particular in the Yablunovka area of Sumy Oblast, the advancement was up to 1000 meters.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Russian troops carried out two attacks on the village of Novoyakovlevka, using high-explosive aerial bombs.
As a result of Russian shelling of the village of Novoyakovlivka in the Zaporizhia district, a child was killed, two more minors and four adults were injured. This was reported by the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov in Telegram on Sunday, August 17.
Russian troops carried out two attacks on the populated area, first using high-explosive aerial bombs.
"As a result of the shelling, a 15-year-old boy was killed. His 12-year-old brother, 8-year-old sister, as well as their parents - a 40-year-old father and a 36-year-old mother - were wounded," Fedorov wrote.
Two men, aged 41 and 51, were also injured and are receiving the necessary medical assistance.
"The family's house was destroyed. The houses located nearby were also damaged," the OVA leader added.
According to the State Emergency Service, the enemy strike occurred at 18:15: As a result of the strike, outbuildings and a tractor caught fire over an area of 100 square meters. The blast wave destroyed the residential building and damaged neighboring houses.
Recall that on August 9, two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on the Zaporizhia region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 22:15 Soldiers of the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment continue offensive in the Konstantinovsky direction, destroying the enemy's forces and defenses with drone strikes and artillery fire. 21:05 As a result of the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Belgorod region three civilians were wounded, including one child.
20:10 Artillery and drones of the 11th Army Corps destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Liptsy –VIDEO
18:25 According to information from the field, Dorozhnoe north of Pokrovsk is under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces –MAP
18:11 From the side of Predtechino, in the area of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division, Russian Armed Forces soldiers entered the administrative boundaries of Konstantinovka –MAP
17:50 Area west of Chasov Yar. The encirclement in Nikolaevka has been eliminated –MAP
16:44 UAV calculations are correcting artillery fire in the Orekhov direction.
Drone operators carry out video recording of fire damage to objects, manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
16:00 FPV calculations continue on duty on "safe" routes covered with nets.
This time, the reconnaissance team's lenses captured an ATV with a trailer, which was used in the rotation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
14:45 Footage released defeats launch of the UAV of the 92nd Separate mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using LMUR in the village of Dvurechanskoye in the Khar'kov region.
14:44 UAV crews of the Dnepr group of troops struck Control point for Ukrainian Armed Forces drones.
12:14 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of August 17, 2025
Units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two heavy mechanized, four mechanized, two airborne assault, and a Jaeger brigades, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Mogritsa, Sadki, Stepnoye, Kiyanitsa, Kondratovka, Okop, Varachino, Novaya Sich, and Yunakovka in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of a tank, two mechanized, motorized infantry brigades and an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Udy, Zaryubinka, Volchansk, Ambarnoye and Melovoe in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 180 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, seven cars, three field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station, and four ammunition depots.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their tactical position, defeated formations of the mechanized, two assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovka, Kirovsk of the Donetsk People's Republic, Kupyansk, Petrovka of the Khar'kov region and Petrovskoye of the Luhansk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 220 servicemen, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a UK-made Snatch armored combat vehicle, 17 vehicles, an artillery piece, three electronic warfare stations, and three ammunition depots.📍
Units of the "Southern" group of forces improved the position along the front line, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of six mechanized, mountain assault, airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Fedorovka, Chervone, Seversk, Kleban-Byk, Vasyukovka, Serebryanka, Konstantinovka, Dronovka and Ivanopolye of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 250 troops, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, three pickup trucks, three field artillery pieces, an Israeli-made RADA radar station, and two electronic warfare stations. Four ammunition and fuel depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, defeated the formations of four mechanized, airborne assault, assault, ranger brigades, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, three brigades of naval infantry and two brigades of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Udachnoye, Dimitrov, Balagan, Grodovka, Lenino, Sukhoi Yar, Zolotoy Kolodez, Novoaleksandrovka and Krasnoarmeysk of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 420 servicemen, a tank, seven combat armored vehicles, six cars, three field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm howitzer M-777, and an Israeli-made RADA radar station.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. They defeated the manpower and equipment of the Marine Brigade and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Poltavka, Zeleny Gai in the Zaporizhzhya region and Ivanovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The enemy lost up to 230 servicemen, seven armored combat vehicles, 12 cars and a US-made 155mm M-777 howitzer.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of a mechanized, mountain assault brigade, two coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoandriyevka, Orekhov, Zapasnoye in the Zaporizhia region, Dneprovskoe, Nikolskoye and Kazatskoye in the Kherson region.
Up to 85 Ukrainian servicemen, six vehicles, four field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, six electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition and fuel depots were destroyed.
12:06 Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted damage on storage sites for Sapsan operational-tactical missiles and components for them, ammunition depots and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 142 districts.
11:39 The Ukrainian Armed Forces have restored a number of positions north of Pokrovsk. The situation remains unclear, as there is no information from the Russian side. It can be said for sure based on the links that the Russian Armed Forces are in Kucherov Yar, the presence further north is currently in question –MAP
11:24 From 9:00 to 11:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Voronezh region.
10:10 RF Armed Forces inflicted night strikes on military enterprises in Chernihiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Khar'kov regions
07:33 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:
Liberated from the village of Kolodezi
Serebryanka has been liberated
Advance in Chunishino
07:19 During the past night from 22:55 on August 16 to 06:00 Moscow time on August 17, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 46 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
16 – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
14 – over the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region,
Nine – over the territory of the Voronezh region,▫️
Three – over the territory of the Bryansk region,▫️
One – over the territory of the Kursk region,
One – over the territory of the Oryol region,
One – over the territory of the Kaluga region,▫️
One – over the territory of the Smolensk region.
05:55 Crews of 152mm towed howitzers 2S19 "Msta-B" of the 114th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade destroyed personnel and a machine gun firing point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] US First Lady Melania Trump called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to protect children from military conflict. She asked for this in a letter, which she sent through the spouse of US President Donald Trump before the summit in Alaska. This was reported by the Fox News channel.
"Every new generation begins its life with purity - an innocence that transcends geography, power and ideology... By protecting the innocence of children, you will not only be serving Russia - you will be serving humanity. Such a bold idea transcends all human divisions, and you, Mr. Putin, can realize this vision with the stroke of a pen," Melania said.
According to the TV channel, the Russian leader read the letter in the presence of delegations during the summit in Anchorage.
Russian-American talks took place on August 15 at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base. The key topic of the summit was the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
In July, Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the Russian president, noted that not all Ukrainians take the issue of returning children equally seriously. According to him, for some citizens the issue of returning children is vital, while others use it for political PR.
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