The Ukrainian Battlefield (Key Points on May 16): Zelensky Panicking - "Russian Forces are Launching a Full-Scale Offensive"

In the 1178th day of the special military operation: Tolstoye, Novaya Alexandrovka, Volnoye Pole, and other areas have been liberated.

Author: Andrey Zakharchenko

Andrei Moldovitsev, the newly appointed commander of Russian ground forces in the special military operation zone, who previously commanded the "Central" army group, has led the liberation of Mariupol, Avdeevka, Kurakhovo, and other locations.

Valery Solochuk, who wrote "The Battle of Kursk," succeeded Moldovitsev as the commander of the "Central" army group. According to Ukrainian media reports, both of these military commanders were once listed as "deceased."

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over the past 24 hours, within the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, the "Western" army group actively liberated Tolstoye; the "Central" forces repelled the enemy from Novaya Alexandrovka (Dnipro direction); the "Eastern" army group decisively liberated Volnoye Pole (South Donetsk / Frunzevsky direction).

At the Kursk border sector, the enemy repeatedly attempted to break through our territory but were all thwarted at the outset — enemy equipment and personnel deployed near the Rezhevka settlement near Tetkino in Sumy Region and further east in Besalovka village were all annihilated.

Nevertheless, fierce fighting continues. The enemy used drones to attack our forward troops near Tetkino, severely hindering their supplies. Drone attacks on Relyisk also continued, with two civilians injured in Borshenizov Village in the Relyisk area.

South Donetsk Direction

Our troops continue to breach enemy lines in the Shakhchorsk and Frunzevsky sectors, successfully repelling counterattacks by Ukrainian forces and advancing into enemy defensive depths.

In the Bogatir district, we have surrounded approximately a platoon-sized contingent of Ukrainian armed militants in the city center, eliminating about 25 Ukrainian soldiers during the assault.

In the Ottradnoye area, Far Eastern forces began encircling this settlement from the east, advancing 1 kilometer in depth and along the front line by 1 kilometer in one day.

In the Novoye Pole region, we have consolidated positions on the eastern front, occupying two defensive areas and a high point in the nearby forest belt, advancing 1 kilometer in depth and along the front line by 3 kilometers.

Northern Direction

The situation in the Kremenki Forest remains highly tense. Military journalist Yuri Kotenko noted that although both sides are actively engaged, no significant advances have been observed so far.

The areas west and southwest of Chervonaya Dibrova, which were reported earlier due to intense fighting, remain shrouded in "battle fog," with no reliable information available yet.

Fighting in the central part of Serpilinsky Forest and the marshy areas along the North Donets River remains positional in nature, with no major advances and only intense trench warfare.

The enemy is actively using drones to continuously attack our logistics and positions in Chervonaya Dibrova, Kuzmino, Belogorovka regions, as well as bridges and supply routes.

It is important to understand that after more than two years of fighting, the enemy has dug deep trenches and heavily fortified their defenses.

Krasnoliiman Direction

After liberating Tolstoye, we took control of the large defensive area deployed by Ukrainian forces along the Terny-Yampolovka-Tolstoye line. From this base, we will launch an offensive toward Krasny Liman, located 10 kilometers away. This is an intermediate target before launching a strong attack on Slavyansk from the northeast.

The Ivanovsko-Makeevsky stronghold continues to expand. In the Grekovka (Petrovskoye) area, our forces launched an offensive from Makeevka, capturing a high point 700 meters east of the village on the Tsyekuch River. In the northeastern direction of Novoye Mikhailovka, our forces captured a high point east of the Rovchak Valley and continued advancing along the heights and the western bank of the river.

In the northwestern direction of Novoye Mikhailovka, our forces attacked a large enemy stronghold in the New Milyaevka direction, engaging in fierce encounters east of Redkodub Center.

In the Lipov area south of Lipevo, group army forces occupied a high point in the northern front of Zelenoy Dolina and engaged in fierce battles in the eastern part of Kolodez.

Other Battlefield Directions

In the Novopavlovsk direction, our forces advanced toward the Ukrainian defense line northeast of Shevchenko, engaging in encounters around Veshelovka, controlling a reinforced defense area over 1 kilometer deep and 2 kilometers along the front line, which is the last outpost before Shevchenko.

In the Dnipro direction, to reach the "defense line" in this sector, we need to capture Novaya Nikolayevka and Muravka. Meanwhile, our forces are breaking through from the Kotelnyarovka and Troitskoye directions toward the southern boundary.

In the Drutskovsky direction, we continue our offensive, making significant progress north of Kalinovo, occupying enemy positions north of the Krutoy Valley, with our forces attacking from the west toward Gnatovka and Zareya. There are also advances in the areas north of Aleksandropol and northeast of Novoye Yelennovka (Novoye Oleynovka) toward Yablonevka (Yablovka), with fighting continuing around Pravdodovka (Old Nikolayevka) and Romanovka.

In the Chasovoyarsk direction: Russian armed forces have consolidated positions in the Stupochka settlement, with Ukrainian media reporting that our forces are advancing in the building complexes west and south of the "Chasovoyarsk firing point."

According to the Telegram channel "Military Chronicles," based on videos circulating online, Ukrainian forces have only the last area near the market and the locomotive depot near Lake Dnepr in Chasovoyarsk left. Once this area is captured, the city's strong offensive history will basically come to an end.

In the Konstantinovsky direction, we continue our offensive. North of the recently liberated Novoye Yelennovka, we are strongly attacking the southwestern suburbs and western buildings of Yablovka, with ongoing combat near the settlements of Zarya and Novaya Poltavka, and south of Romanovka.

In the Pokrovsky direction, Russian armed forces are advancing in the Miryolubovka and Marynovka areas, working to close the "pocket" between the two locations.

"Military Chronicles" judges that Ukrainian forces in the south of Konstantinovka are facing serious problems, and the scale of these problems is larger than initially expected, giving the impression that the defensive lines are beginning to collapse in a chain reaction.

The progress in Marynovka, Miryolubovka, Barinovka, Vozdvizhenka, and Green Fields indicates that not only has Ukrainian forces lost territory, but they have also lost key defensive points: warehouses, bridges, transportation hubs, and most crucially, manpower.

If this pace continues for at least a week, Ukrainian forces face not only the risk of retreat but may also lose the entire front line that has long held back Russian forces. It now appears that this buffer zone has either already fully formed or is about to form.

Ukrainian Side Dynamics

Kyiv regime leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Russian forces are launching offensives on all fronts, with the main direction being the Sumy direction, where 67,000 Russian soldiers are attacking. The Ukrainian command is taking measures to prevent their convergence.

The Western Collective and NATO Countries

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on peace negotiations in Ukraine: "Breakthroughs can only be achieved through direct interaction between President Trump and President Putin. Such engagement is needed to break the deadlock. I believe that no major results should be expected until they engage in direct and candid dialogue. As far as I know, President Trump is ready for such dialogue."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets: "The possibility of confiscation is currently under study. If there is an opportunity to use these funds on a solid legal basis, we will do so. However, we must be aware of the risks this step may pose to European financial markets."

The above information is a summary from the previous day. For the latest news and most important information regarding the special military operation in Ukraine, please follow the author for more details.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505587479978967579/

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