THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
Day 1121 of the full scale invasion
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.
All the latest news on the Russo-Ukraine War 6 days per week
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
For: Mar 20, 2025
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Mar 20 stated that day 1121 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.
The situation on the line of combat remains tense in some sectors. Ukrainian defenders continue to actively counteract the Russian aggressor, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. Exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continuing to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
During the past day, 155 combat engagements took place.
Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 72 air strikes, used 2,560 drones and fired approximately 6,000 artillery shells across the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilians.
Air Force Daily Report
75 ENEMY UAVS SHOT DOWN, 63 SIMULATOR UAVS FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST)
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On the night of Mar 20, 2025 (from 7:00 p.m. on Mar 19), the enemy attacked with the 171st Shahed attack UAV and simulator drones of various types from the directions: Orel, Shatalovo, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, Chauda - Crimea.
The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces of Ukraine.
As of 08:30, it was confirmed that 75 Shahed attack UAVs and drones of other types were shot down in Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions.
63 enemy drones-simulators - lost in location (without negative consequences).
The Kirovohrad, Sumy, and Donetsk regions were affected by the Russian attack.
Combat Operations in the Russian Federation
Kursk Sector: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Mar 19 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that Russian forces continued ground operations to push Ukrainian forces from their remaining positions in Kursk Oblast on Mar 19.
Russian forces attacked west of Sudzha near Gogolevka, southwest of Sudzha near Oleshnya, south of Sudzha near Guyevo and Gornal, and near the international border in Sumy Oblast near Basivka on Mar 19.
Belgorod Incursion: Ukrainian forces recently advanced into Belgorod Oblast, but it is unclear if Ukrainian forces maintain these positions.
Geolocated footage published on Mar 18 and 19 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced south and southwest of Demidovka (along the international border northwest of Belgorod City).
A Kremlin-affiliated Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced southwest of Grafovka (southeast of Demidovka).
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Chasiv Yar Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Chasiv Yar direction.
Assessed Russian advances: Geolocated footage published on Mar 18 indicates that Russian advanced along Marii Ulianovoi Street in western Chasiv Yar.
Toretsk Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction.
Geolocated footage published on Mar 18 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced northeast of Druzhba (east of Toretsk), north of Toretsk, and along Komarova Street in southwestern Toretsk.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk Sector : Ukrainian and Russian forces recently advanced in the Pokrovsk direction.
A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces seized central Lysivka (southeast of Pokrovsk) and advanced to the outskirts of Dachenske (south of Pokrovsk).
Geolocated footage published on Mar 16 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced to the southeastern outskirts of Lysivka. Additional geolocated footage published on Mar 18 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in southern Pishchane (southwest of Pokrovsk).
Velyka Novosilka Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Velyka Novosilka direction.
Geolocated footage published on March 19 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced southwest of Pryvilne (east of Velyka Novosilka).
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
There have been no major changes to the combat environment since our last report.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing major to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Russia, Ukraine exchange 175 prisoners of war in one of the largest exchanges of the war.
Russia and Ukraine said Wednesday they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian full-scale invasion started three years ago. AP reported on Mar 19.
“We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers — warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, and the Border Guard Service,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that releasing all prisoners of war as well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could help build trust between the two countries. He has repeatedly called for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange.
5 killed, 26 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least five people and injured 26 others over the past day, The Kyiv independent reported citing regional officials on Mar 20.
In Kirovohrad Oblast, a Russian drone strike on Kropyvnytskyi injured 10 people, including four children, in what Governor Andrii Raikovych described as the most extensive Russian attack using Shahed drones against the region.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one resident in Kostiantynivka and wounded five others, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.
In Kharkiv Oblast, four people were injured across the region, and one person was killed in Kupiansk when a Russian KAB-guided aerial bomb struck a house, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
In Kherson Oblast, two people were killed, and four others were wounded as Russian forces targeted critical and social infrastructure facilities and residential areas, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces dropped six KAB-guided aerial bombs, killing one person and injuring another, the local military administration reported.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two men were wounded in a Russian strike on the regional center, Zaporizhzhia, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Russia’s Engels air force base struck again.
Units of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Special Operations Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in interaction with other components of the Defense Forces, on the night of Mar 20, struck Angels airport in the Saratov region of Russia. The GSAFU reported on Mar 20.
Fire, explosions and secondary detonation of ammunition were recorded in the area of the airport.
This military facility is used by Russia’s aviation, in particular, to launch missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine and terrorist attacks against civilians.
The Engels-2 military airbase hosts strategic bomber planes regularly used for aerial strikes on Ukraine. The independent news channel Astra reported explosions near the airbase. According to Busargin, residents living near the airfield are being evacuated.
Multiple missiles, including Kh-101 cruise missiles, have been destroyed in the attack, said Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine possess detailed information about strategic objects of Russian occupiers, comply with international humanitarian law and take measures to maximize the security of civilian population and stop the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS
American Intelligence denies Trump and Putin's claim of Ukrainian troops encirclement in Kursk.
Ukrainian soldiers have retreated in the Kursk region in recent days, but are not surrounded by Russian troops. CIA data refute simultaneous statements by US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported on Mar 20.
US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, shared this assessment with the White House last week, sources told Reuters. However, Trump continued to claim that Ukrainian troops were surrounded in the Kursk region of western Russia.
According to the officials, US and European intelligence assessments indicate that Ukrainian troops are facing heavy pressure from Russian forces, but are not surrounded.
Trump repeated the claim about "encircled" Ukrainian forces during a speech at Washington's Kennedy Center on Monday and in a Fox News interview on Tuesday.
Since August, when Ukrainian soldiers smashed their way across Russia's western border in Kursk, Kyiv has lost almost all of the territory it gained. It once held close to 500 square miles of land but now only holds between 20 and 30 square miles, according to open source reports.
Kremlin Accuses Europe of Planning ‘Militarization’
The Kremlin on Thursday accused European countries of prioritizing military buildup over peace efforts, as top Western military officials gathered in Britain to discuss support for Ukraine, the Moscow Times reports.
Major European powers, including France and the U.K., have sought to ramp up defense spending since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, amid growing concerns that Washington may scale back its commitment to European security.
With Trump forging closer ties with Russia, the Kremlin has increasingly blamed Europe for prolonging the war in Ukraine, accusing the EU and U.K. of obstructing peace.
“For the most part, the signals from Brussels and European capitals concern plans to militarize Europe,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Europe has embarked on a path of militarization and has turned itself into something of a war party,” he added.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who alongside French President Emmanuel Macron is leading efforts to form a so-called “coalition of the willing,” is expected to address a gathering of around 30 military officials later Thursday.
Both Starmer and Macron have said they would be open to deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine following a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv — an idea Russia opposes.
Trump agrees to help Ukraine find available Patriot air defense systems in Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to assist Ukraine in finding additional U.S.-made Patriot air defenses available in Europe, the Kyiv Independent reported citing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reading from a transcript of a call between the two leaders on Mar 19.
Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an hour-long phone call, during which they discussed a ceasefire and bringing an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as protecting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy asked Trump for additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians, in particular, Patriot missile systems, and the U.S. president agreed to find what was available, particularly in Europe, according to the transcript.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv has called on its partners to provide additional air defense assets to protect its cities and infrastructure, especially its energy system, from Russian missile and drone strikes.
The Patriot systems have played a crucial role in protecting the Ukrainian sky. They are capable of downing even the most advanced ballistic missiles, such as Kinzhals.
Throughout the full-scale war, there were several reports of damage to Patriot systems during Russia's aerial attacks. Ukraine also uses mock systems to protect the missile systems.
Following Trump and Vances clash with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, Washington suspended all military and intelligence aid to Ukraine. After talks between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia, Washington lifted the suspensions.
$5.4 billion on ammunition for Ukraine 'realistic' goal: EU's top diplomat.
The EU is working on providing Ukraine with 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) for ammunition, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Mar 20, as a much larger 40-billion-euro ($43 billion) package still lacks consensus, the Kyiv Independent reports.
Speaking to journalists ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Kallas called the 5-billion-euro tranche a "realistic plan" that is currently under discussion.
Despite Kallas saying earlier this week that the tranche of 40 billion euros has "broad political support" among EU members, some countries, such as Italy, France, or Spain, remain hesitant.
Additional European assistance is ever more crucial for Kyiv now as future support from the U.S., the leading military donor, grows increasingly uncertain under President Donald Trump.
The sum of 5 billion euros for purchasing 2 million large-caliber ammunition rounds is seen as a first step that could be achieved before a possible consensus on the more significant tranche.
EU officials have been discussing ways to move the bigger package forward, including basing contributions on consent to avoid a likely veto by Hungary, the bloc's most Russian-friendly country.
The contributions are to be based on each member state's gross national income (GNI), which has also become a key sticking point in the discussions.
"Some countries have done more, and some countries are bigger economies," Kallas said.
Some of the EU's smaller members, such as Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, or Latvia, have committed considerably greater shares of their national GDP to support Ukraine than some larger economies like France, Spain, or Italy.
"In the short term, we have to support Ukraine, and it's absolutely obvious that Ukraine needs our military assistance; Ukraine needs ammunition, long-range missiles, and we are ready to provide it," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said after arriving at the summit.
European leaders have gathered for a two-day summit in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine and ways to boost defense spending. President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to deliver an online address to the summit on March 20.
MILITARY & TECH
Zelenskyy confirms new arrival of F-16 jets to Ukraine.
A new shipment of Western F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskfy confirmed to journalists on Mar 19, the Kyiv Independent reports.
The president stated that several F-16s had arrived but did not reveal the exact number of jets delivered.
"Additional F-16s have arrived in Ukraine. The Russians lied that they shot down something there, they didn't shoot anything down. And the good news is that several F-16 aircraft have arrived in Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters during a briefing.
Earlier in the day Russian media claimed that an F-16 jets was downed in Sumy Oblast, a claim that Ukraine's Air Force denied.
Zelenskyy did not specify from where the jets were delivered from.
Ukraine has been requesting F-16s since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with the first jets arriving in August 2024 after approval from several Western countries.
Several countries have contributed F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine's defense efforts, with the Netherlands — who announced the continued deployment of F-16s to Ukraine — playing a significant role by committing 24 F-16s.
Denmark has pledged 19 F-16s, with initial deliveries made in 2024, while Norway has promised between 6 and 22 aircraft. Belgium has also announced its intention to supply F-16s, though the exact number remains undisclosed.
F-16s are used in both offensive and defensive operations. The aircraft have been used for intercepting Russian missiles and drones during aerial strikes against Ukraine. They could also be deployed to launch missiles and bombs at Russian positions along the front line.
Raybird UAS: This drone has the capabilities of a larger aircraft.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that "Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have become an integral part of reconnaissance. Domestically developed systems, actively used on the frontline, possess technical characteristics that surpass global counterparts," the ministry stated. Defense Express reports.
Unmanned aerial systems operate effectively on the frontline, especially in reconnaissance. One of them is the Raybird.
The Raybird UAS (better known among the military as ACS-3) has reshaped existing drone classifications. Despite its small size (weighing up to 25 kg), this aircraft is capable of performing missions typically reserved for much larger systems.
Raybird has extensive combat experience, with over 350,000 hours of operational flights and dozens of missions carried out daily.
"This reconnaissance aircraft can remain airborne for up to 28 hours and cover distances of up to 2,500 km," the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted.
Raybird's capabilities allow it to evade enemy air defenses and electronic warfare systems.
Thanks to its characteristics and compact design, Raybird can bypass enemy air defense systems and zones of active electronic warfare, conducting high-quality visual reconnaissance from altitudes of up to 5.5 km and performing other tasks.
Its modular design and compact size enable the UAS to be used for various missions. It does not require special conditions for takeoff and landing and has a high degree of maintainability—damaged components can be replaced within minutes.
Payloads that can be swapped in one minute:
Gyro-stabilized multisensor gimbals with a laser designator
Photographic cameras
Synthetic aperture radars (SAR)
Loitering munitions of various types
FPV drones
The base model of Raybird was developed in 2016, and by 2018, the ACS-3/Raybird aviation complex was adopted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since then, it has been continuously upgraded and modernized.
Raybird features a precision laser targeting system for guided munitions.
One of the latest versions of the Raybird UAS features an integrated laser guidance system for precision-guided munitions, which operates with meter-level accuracy.
"This is the only UAV in its class equipped with such a system, and its effectiveness has already been proven in real combat," the military stated.
The laser designation operates at a sufficient distance from the target to ensure precise engagement while keeping the carrier platform safe.
Combat experience in Ukraine confirms Raybird's reliability, its resilience against electronic warfare systems, and its cost-effectiveness.
"This makes the UAS a valuable tool for both defense and commercial missions. Additionally, with over 90% of production localized in Ukraine, it plays a significant role in strengthening the national economy," the Ministry of Defense stated.
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