September 15, 2025
Key developments on Sept. 15:
- Ukrainian troops clear another village near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, military reports
- Syrskyi dismisses 2 corps commanders over lost territory, media reports
- Ukraine tests new kamikaze drones resistant to Russian jamming
Ukrainian forces have cleared Russian troops from the village of Pankivka in the Dobropillia sector of Donetsk Oblast, the National Guard’s 1st Azov Corps reported on Sept. 15.
Ukrainian forces have spent the past month pushing Russian troops back after they advanced nearly 10 kilometers (6 miles) toward the strategic Dobropillia–Kramatorsk highway, near the embattled city of Pokrovsk. Since late August, Ukrainian units have regained control of several villages in the area.
The operation to clear the settlement was conducted jointly by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to reinforce their positions in the area, prompting Ukraine to deploy additional reserves to the sector overseen by the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard, which comprises four infantry brigades and a marine regiment.
“Ukrainian defense forces are making every effort to halt the enemy’s advance and prevent a breach in the defenses,” the statement read.
Syrskyi dismisses 2 corps commanders over lost territory, media reports
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has dismissed Volodymyr Silenko and Maksym Kituhin, commanders of the 17th and 20th respective Army Corps, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 15, citing two unnamed military sources.
These are the first senior personnel changes since President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Feb. 3 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would transition to a corps-based structure.
Both commanders were reportedly removed one to two weeks ago following battlefield losses in the areas under their command, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
The 17th Corps, led by Silenko, was responsible for the sector of the front line south of Zaporizhzhia, where Ukrainian forces recently lost control of the village of Kamianske and were partially driven out of Plavni, both located along the Dnipro River.
Kituhin’s 20th Corps was deployed along the border between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, which Russian forces crossed in August, digging into the latter region for the first time.
Ukraine tests new kamikaze drones resistant to Russian jamming
Ukraine’s Brave1 defense innovation cluster has completed the final stage of testing for new kamikaze drones with a range of over 40 kilometers (25 miles), Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Sept. 15.
The drones are built to withstand Russian electronic warfare systems and will soon be tested in combat.
“Kamikaze attack drones with a range of 40 kilometers, capable of overcoming electronic warfare, represent a new level of capability to attack the enemy,” Fedorov said.
Electronic warfare has become one of Russia’s key defenses against Ukraine’s drone arsenal, as jamming and spoofing aim to disrupt navigation and prevent drones from striking targets.
If proven resilient, the new systems could improve Ukraine’s ability to strike logistics hubs, artillery positions, and equipment behind Russian lines.
“Strike drones are becoming a cheap and practical solution for the front lines — they are affordable to manufacture and easily scalable,” Fedorov added.
BTW, we Americans say bug off, with a “u”.
Boris is being polite. What he means to say is fuck you. 😂
😁👍 I understood.
“Both commanders were reportedly removed one to two weeks ago following battlefield losses in the areas under their command, according to Ukrainska Pravda.”
If they are incompetent, replace them. Ukraine can’t afford to have any potato generals or commanders in the army.