05/16/2026
The Ukrainian Defense Forces recently liberated Odradne in the Kharkiv region, and have also advanced in Kostyantynivka and the outskirts of the city. In return, the Russians are drawing forces to the Slavyansk direction, transferring individual units from Borova and Kupyansk, while the aggressor’s losses during the battles for Malaya Tokmachka, with a pre-war population of less than 100 people, exceeded 2,000 occupiers.
Against this background, Ukraine is stepping up middle-range strikes, firing at enemy military targets behind Russian troops in the occupied territories. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on the situation on the battlefield.
Sumy region
The day before, on May 15, the Russians continued offensive operations in Sumy Oblast – without any confirmed advances. Instead, Ukrainian troops conducted ” frequent counterattacks ” in the region.
Meanwhile, Russian propagandists began to talk about the alleged advance of Russian troops north of Novaya Sich and in Myropilla, as well as south of Yunakivka and northeast of Malaya Rybitsa.
Kharkiv region
The Russians also tried to advance in the Kharkiv direction, but there, too, there were no confirmed advances.
On May 15, Russian troops continued offensive operations in the Kharkiv direction, but did not achieve confirmed progress.
This did not prevent the Russian Ministry of Defense from “liberating” Chaykivka, and the Z-bloggers from “advancing” west of Rybalchyne.
Not on paper, things are not so rosy for the occupiers. Analysts noted that in the north of the Kharkiv region, the invaders continue to face difficulties in using combat vehicles: the wooded terrain and strikes by Ukrainian UAVs prevent the occupiers from advancing using armored personnel carriers.
While the Russians talk about their successes without any confirmation, Ukrainian soldiers liberated Odradne, supporting their statement with video evidence, including footage of the raising of flags in the center of the settlement.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Russians conducted infiltration missions and limited offensive operations. Judging by geolocation footage from May 14, the occupiers were able to infiltrate the western part of Kurylivka.
Several Russian pro-war sources announced the alleged capture of Petropavlivka east of Kupyansk. However, ISW received the statements skeptically.
“Russian sources have repeatedly made unconfirmed claims that Russian troops were advancing into or capturing Petropavlivka, including three times since January 2026,” the analysts calculated.
ISW also recorded an increase in the Russian use of unmanned ground systems in the Borovsk and Lymansk directions, where enemy offensive operations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to launch medium-range strikes on Russian military targets in the occupied Luhansk region. The General Staff of Ukraine reported on May 15 that Ukrainian forces struck Russian ammunition depots in occupied Rovenky (129 kilometers from the front line) and Epifanivka (67 kilometers from the front line), as well as a warehouse of technical and material resources in occupied Raihorodka (79 kilometers from the front line) on May 14 or during the night of May 15.
Donetsk region
On May 15, Russian troops continued offensive operations in the Slavyansk direction, but did not advance as Ukrainian troops counterattacked southeast of Liman near Dibrova.
“The Russian military command appears to be distributing units of Russian troops in the Kupyansk and Borovsk directions to reinforce efforts in the Lymansk direction.
A Russian source reported the provision of an assault detachment of the 26th Tank Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces from the Kupyansk direction to the 144th Motorized Rifle Division in the Slavyansk direction.
This is the second recorded case of reinforcement of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division in recent days. A company of the 423rd Motorized Rifle Regiment, operating in the Borovsky direction, was recently transferred to it.
Ukrainian forces have recently advanced in the center and east of Kostyantynivka and nearby, in the northwestern part of Ivano-Frankivsk.
Geolocation videos published on May 14 show Russian troops shelling Ukrainian positions in the northern part of Illinivka (southwest of Kostyantynivka), which the Russian Defense Ministry “liberated” on April 29.
Geolocation videos published on May 14 also recorded Ukrainian troops shelling a Russian serviceman in the southern part of Kostyantynivka, which ISW interpreted as evidence of a Russian infiltration mission.
On May 15, Russian troops continued limited ground activity in the Dobropil direction.
A Russian military blogger claimed that Russian troops had allegedly advanced south of Vasylivka (northwest of Pokrovsk), as on May 15, Russian troops continued offensive operations north, northwest, west, and southwest of Pokrovsk.
The ISW stated that Russian troops used the ceasefire regime of May 9-11 to concentrate forces in the Pokrovsk area and actively use urban development and green spaces for camouflage.
Near Myrnograd and Pokrovsk, the Russians are intensifying their attacks after a relative lull and a concentration of forces during the ceasefire. Under the cover of buildings and green spaces, the occupiers are transferring equipment, vehicles, and artillery to Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, in particular, hiding howitzers under garbage containers.
On May 15, Russian troops continued their offensive near Novopavlivka itself, as well as to the northeast and south of Novopavlivka, but did not advance.
On May 14 and 15, Russian forces continued limited attacks to the east and southeast of Oleksandrivka, but did not advance.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian middle strike reached a number of Russian military facilities in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, including in Mariupol.
According to the General Staff, on May 14-15, the Defense Forces struck Russian electronic warfare equipment in Dmytrivka (approximately 80 or 110 kilometers from the front line). They also struck an MR-232 “Bussol-S” radar station and an optoelectronic module at a coastal technical intelligence point of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in occupied Mariupol (approximately 110 kilometers from the front line). A Russian fuel and lubricants depot was hit in the same city
“Ukrainian drones have recently begun to spy on and intercept Russian ground communication lines in and around Mariupol, which has caused concern in the Russian blogging community,” ISW added.
Zaporizhia region
In southern Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense continues to present the raising of tricolors by Russian DRGs as evidence of the capture of settlements.
Geolocation videos released on May 15 show Ukrainian forces shelling Russian-occupied buildings in eastern Vozdvizhivka (northwest of Hulyaipol) and Russian forces raising Russian flags in Charivne (southwest of Hulyaipol) after an infiltration mission. Based on this footage, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the occupation of Charivne.
Also, Russian troops are currently trying to advance to Verkhnyaya Tersa (west of Hulyaipol) from the south, likely due to Ukrainian successes to the west and northwest of Hulyaipol.
According to the spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the invaders are attacking Zaliznychne (southwest of Hulyaipol and southeast of Verkhnia Tersa), Hulyaipolske (southwest of Hulyaipol and south of Verkhnia Tersa), and Charivne (south of Verkhnia Tersa).
The other day, the occupiers carried out a mechanized assault on an unspecified echelon of armored vehicles and motorcycles near Gulyaipilske . Voloshin called this a departure from Russia’s usual tactics of using small infantry groups.
Ukrainian sources continue to note how Russian officials have repeatedly announced the capture of settlements in the Orikhiv direction, where the front line remains virtually unchanged.
Thus, the commander of one of the Ukrainian battalions involved in the fighting in the Orikhov direction stated that the occupation forces have been trying to storm Malaya Tokmachka (southeast of Orikhov) for several years in a row. Statements about the “liberation” or “clearance” of this small Ukrainian village appear in Russian reports surprisingly often. In particular, at the end of last year, Malaya Tokmachka was once again “captured” by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
The commander stated that Ukrainian troops have controlled Malaya Tokmachka since 2023. According to his calculations, Russian troops lost about 2,000 soldiers in attempts to capture the village, which had less than a hundred people living in it before the war.
The same battalion commander said that the areas closer to Verbovye (southeast of Malaya Tokmachka) are disputed “gray zones. “
A Russian military blogger disputed the Ukrainian commander’s claims, arguing that Malaya Tokmachka and Novodanylivka (west of Malaya Tokmachka) are largely “gray zones.” However, he did acknowledge that it is difficult for Russian troops to gain a foothold in these settlements.
Ukrainian forces have continued their campaign of medium-range strikes near occupied Berdyansk, targeting key Russian ground lines of communication that supply Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
The commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Magyar” Brovdy, reported that Ukrainian forces had struck a cargo ship carrying ammunition near Berdyansk (approximately 100 kilometers from the front line). And a Russian military blogger published a video on May 15 that reportedly shows the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone strike on vehicles along the M-14 Mariupol-Berdyansk highway in the Berdyansk district.
On May 15, Russian troops continued limited ground attacks in the Kherson direction, but did not advance.
The occupiers also distributed a video of a Russian strike on vehicles of the United Nations (UN) humanitarian mission in Kherson on May 14. This, ISW emphasized, confirms Ukraine’s report of a Russian strike on UN vehicles in the area.
On the night of May 14-15, Ukrainian troops continued medium-range attacks on Russian military facilities in occupied Crimea.
“Magyar” said that the Russian Pantsir-S1 system in occupied Khutork (approximately 156 kilometers from the front line) on the peninsula was hit.
As OBOZ.UA reported, the day before, ISW announced that Ukrainian troops had advanced in the Sloviansk area. At the same time, in some sections of the front, the Russians were able to slip past the Ukrainian defense line.
Analysts also explained what is behind the change in governors of two regions bordering Ukraine in Russia .
Putler’s two month deadline for Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas is up in two weeks. It doesn’t appear that Ukraine are going to withdraw from anywhere. So what is putler going to do, issue another deadline?
The only choice the rat has is to do a Taco number and extend the deadline another two weeks. Then another two weeks, and then another.
Maybe Ukraine should issue a deadline. Remove your trash from Ukraine if you want to have any oil capacity left.
I doubt that would convince that gutter rat to stop burning his country for a pipedream.
Good news might be on the way though. Now that TACO has thrown Taiwan under the bus, maybe less Chinese weapons and supplies will find their way to mafia land.
We can only hope.