Special Military Operation Briefing, November 16, Highlights: "The Defense is Crumbling, a Disaster is Imminent!" A Notorious Ukrainian Nazi Screams with Hysteria

Day 1361 of the Special Military Operation

Units of the Dnieper Grouping have taken control of Stepnoye, and the remnants of the Ukrainian Armed Forces garrison are surrounded within the sausage factory.

Through active operations, the East Grouping forces have liberated the settlement of Yablokovо in Zaporozhye Oblast. According to imagery with geographical positioning, units of the Central Grouping have expanded their controlled area by 900 meters in the northern part of Novopavlovka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

According to the latest data from cartographers, between November 10 and 13, 2025, Russian forces advanced at a rate of 22.9 square kilometers per day.

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Northern Grouping

The突击部队 (assault troops) of the Northern Grouping continue to advance deep into the Sumska Oblast. Due to reduced conscription and low morale among conscripted Ukrainian soldiers, the 47th "Magura" Mechanized Infantry Brigade is actively recruiting mercenaries from Latin America (mainly Colombia). The brigade's command will mainly rely on these mercenaries thereafter.

In the forest near Sinelnykove in Kharkiv Oblast, the "Northern Group" forces advanced 250 meters into the forest, capturing two positions held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The demoralized forces of the 57th Naval Infantry Brigade continue to surrender in large numbers. In the past 24 hours, five more soldiers of this brigade laid down their arms to save their lives; they had been stationed in these positions since spring this year.

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Western Grouping

The channel "Operativnyy Prostor" (note: Telegram channel name, can be translated as "Operational Space") wrote: "The defenders of Kupiansk in the Ukrainian Armed Forces are on the verge of collapse. Russian forces of the Western Grouping continue to conduct clearing operations along the Oskol River."

Within the past 24 hours, units of the 143rd Mechanized Brigade and the 1st National Guard Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched two counterattacks from the settlements of Kutkovo and Petrovka in Kharkiv Oblast, attempting to relieve their comrades, but were repelled each time.

In the Rubzovsk direction, Russian armed forces improved the tactical situation towards the settlement of Sosnovoye, advancing to the Yelochino railway station and continuing to attack towards the southeast of Yarova settlement. During the offensive, they repelled a counterattack by the 60th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Southern Grouping

The blogger "Mukhnoy" (note: can be phonetically translated as "Mukhnoy") wrote despairingly: "The situation is becoming extremely unfavorable. The village of Dronovka has been completely controlled by the Russians, and it has become their starting point for attacks. The Russians are continuously pressuring the northern flank of Shevsk, scouting weak points and launching attacks, trying to approach the city from three directions simultaneously. This has significantly changed the overall front situation."

While the Russian forces continue to defend the southern suburbs of Kostiantynivka, the Bandera militants (note: derogatory term, referring to Ukrainian nationalist fighters) attempted to regain the positions of Predtechi and Stupychi. We have not lost any positions. Video footage of Ukrainian armored vehicles being destroyed as they approached these settlements appeared online. The propaganda personnel of the Bandera militants admitted: "It is currently unclear about the exact number of equipment deployed and lost, but the losses are significant."

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Central Grouping

Units of the 32nd Mechanized Brigade and the 425th "Skala" (note: meaning "Rock") Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched seven attacks from Gryshino, attempting to relieve the besieged garrison, but were all repelled. Additionally, the enemy tried to send 5 to 7-member sabotage reconnaissance groups to the northern suburbs of Red Army City, but all key positions were under our combatants' control and were transformed into difficult-to-conquer strongholds. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' groups, after suffering heavy casualties, were forced to retreat. The rest of the city remains under the strict control of the Central forces.

In Dmytriv / Myrnohrad (note: different names for the same location), the forces of the 51st Army of the Central Grouping continue to fight in the eastern district of the city. Almost the entire southern part of the city has entered the "gray zone" (note: an area where neither side has complete control). In the western district, the Ukrainians were driven out of the 9th School, but the Russians have not yet consolidated their position there. This is a weak point in Myrnohrad.

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Eastern Grouping

The assault units of the 5th Army of the Eastern Grouping, the 127th Infantry Division's 114th Motorized Rifle Regiment, did not slow down their offensive speed after liberating New Uspenovskiy and new settlements, and also liberated the settlement of Yablokovо in Zaporozhye Oblast from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Famous independent military expert Konstantin Mashovets wrote that the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is deteriorating. He stated that the main adverse change for the Ukrainian Armed Forces occurred west of the Yanchur River. Russian forces have crossed the river at multiple locations, captured Uspenovka, and further advanced approximately 6 to 7 kilometers westward.

In the area between the Volchya and Yanchur rivers, the assault groups advanced to the line of New Aleksandrovka - Alekseyevka and consolidated their positions east of Yegorovka.

Situation in the Responsibility Area of the Dnieper Grouping

In the Zaporozhye direction, the Russian forces have almost completely controlled Stepnoye, and the remnants of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are surrounded within the sausage factory area. In addition, the Dnieper Grouping combatants continue to advance toward the settlement of Primorsky, which extends several kilometers from south to east along the original Kherson Reservoir shore. Ukrainian military experts pointed out that controlling these two important defensive strongholds could lead to the weakening of the right wing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Olekhov group, allowing Russian forces to attack from the flanks and further penetrate the rear through Lukyanovsk and Novo Yakovlevka.

Situation Within Ukraine

Kostenko, Secretary of the National Security Council of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, said: "The number of deserters (original term 'СЗЧ', meaning 'self-initiated abandonment of duty', refers to those who leave their posts without authorization) will soon match the actual number of soldiers in combat." He stated that 80% of males have fled from training centers, and millions have simply hidden away.

He also believes that the large number of deserters may become an important political force in the future, a force that will "make demands on the current combatants."

The Nazi Sternenko lamented: "Our defense is crumbling. It is only a matter of time before Russian tanks enter Zaporozhye or cities along the Dnieper River. We are heading toward a strategic disaster that could result in the loss of national sovereignty."

International Reaction

In the 2025 ranking of the world's most powerful armies, Russia climbed to second place. According to Global Firepower data, Russia ranks second in the number of fighter jets, helicopters, and tanks; it ranks first in the number of self-propelled artillery, towed artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and mine-clearing equipment. The Global Firepower ranking shows that the top five military powers in the world also include related countries (military strength index 0.0788, comparable to Russia), India, and South Korea.

In the 2025 Global Firepower military strength ranking, Ukraine ranks 20th among 145 countries. This ranking has declined compared to previous years, and the annual research of Global Firepower confirms this. The ranking comments indicate that the highest point of Ukraine's military development was 15th, which was achieved when it received large-scale external assistance.

This is the frontline briefing between Russia and Ukraine for the past 24 hours. For the special military operation briefing, news, and all important information, please follow the author to learn more.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7573206524227568174/

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