March 7, 2025
NV
Yevhen Dykyi
The situation on the frontlines is still difficult, but the worst period has passed and it is no longer a constant defensive battle as before, Yevhen Dykyi, former Aidar battalion commander and director of the National Antarctic Research Center, told Radion NV on March 7, analyzing the latest developments on various front sectors.
“We have spent weeks wearing down and wearing out this occupying army, and although they continued to advance by inertia, it became more difficult for them to do so every week. Every week they took less and less territory, while suffering more and more losses,” Dykyi said, noting that the price of every meter of Ukrainian land has increased dramatically for the enemy.
The effective resistance of Ukrainian forces in the Pokrovsk sector is particularly significant. Russian troops concentrated their efforts there, but they were severely stopped, preventing a breakthrough in the Ukrainian defense. The success forced the enemy to divert its efforts to other areas, hoping for an easier advance, but the situation remains unfavorable for them.
“Even the Russians themselves have already realized that they cannot take Pokrovsk.”
Dykyi also stressed the importance of the counterattacks in Toretsk, a large city that Ukrainian forces are liberating after a painful loss three months ago.
“I would like to remind you that this is the first time in a long time that we are taking back such a large settlement. It’s been a long time since we liberated a large city, and Toretsk seems to be the first.”
Progress has also been made in Kharkiv Oblast, where Russian footholds on the western bank of the Oskil River have become a serious threat. However, Ukrainian forces have gained enough strength to deal with this, halting the enemy’s expansion and initiating measures to eliminate their presence altogether.
“So the fact is that we are gradually, cautiously, seizing the initiative along almost the entire frontline.”
In Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian forces launched a successful counterattack targeting the enemy’s rear and logistics, demonstrating their flexibility and maneuverability in this front sector. “The day before yesterday it was rightly reported that one of the groups of Russian troops had taken fire control of the road to Sudzha. So yesterday this same grouping was already hit in the flanks. We will see how successful this counterattack will be,” Dykyi said.
On March 5, Politico wrote that some European leaders saw the momentum of the war slowly shifting in Ukraine’s favor and were urging Western allies to support Kyiv in this decisive period.
Yevhen Dykyi, war veteran, former Aidar battalion commander, director of the National Antarctic Research Center, highlighted successful actions of Ukrainian forces in Toretsk and near Pokrovsk, as well as positive developments in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.