Consequences of Russian strike on Ukrainian training ground. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Russian losses in February

As of February 2025, for the third month in a row, Russia's advance on Ukrainian land has slowed. According to DeepState, Russian forces captured 192 sq. km of Ukrainian territory in February.

The infographic illustrates the dynamics of occupation in terms of square kilometers and months, with the vertical column representing the number of square kilometers and the horizontal column displaying the months from January 2024 to February 2025.

Beyond the declining advance rate, the number and intensity of battles also dropped. There were fewer attacks, though Russia's losses in manpower only slightly decreased and remain high. In the past month alone, 36,570 Russian soldiers were eliminated. These are significant losses, outpacing Russia’s paid mobilization efforts, which bring in 600 to 1,000 new recruits per day.

February also set new records for the destruction of Russian military equipment. The most striking number: nearly 3,500 Russian military vehicles destroyed.

This high figure is largely due to increased drone activity on Ukraine's side. Meanwhile, Russia is trying to compensate for its shortage of armored vehicles with makeshift solutions — cars, motorcycles, anything they can get their hands on.

Another key factor is the destruction of Russian drones. According to Ukraine's General Staff, 3,700 Russian drones were taken down in February — a significant number.

While details are scarce, this includes both Shahed-type strike drones and Orlan-type reconnaissance drones, as well as Zala drones, which are being neutralized by Ukrainian air defense systems.

Missile strike on Ukrainian Armed Forces tent camp

Russia is watching closely, looking for any weakness, miscalculation, or outright mistake to exploit. It is using its reconnaissance and strike capabilities to launch attacks on Ukrainian forces.

On March 3, the Ukrainian Ground Forces reported that on March 1, one of Ukrainian units was hit by a Russian missile strike. The target was a tent camp of the 168th Reserve Battalion of the 239th Operational Command East Training Center, located 120 km from the front in Cherkaske, Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia's reconnaissance was conducted by a drone, likely an Orlan.

A video released by Russian forces confirms the presence of the drone. For some reason, it was not detected and destroyed in time, despite Ukraine's developed methods for spotting and shooting down such drones. Russia launched a ballistic missile from the Iskander-M complex, armed with a cluster warhead.

Now they claim more than ten were killed and up to a hundred injured. Reports suggest that during personnel formation, security measures were either ignored or neglected, despite previous painful lessons paid for in blood.

This follows a pattern seen at the start of the war: Russian strikes on training centers in Yavoriv and near Kyiv at "Desna." Similar strikes also hit marine facilities in November 2023, during the formation of Ukraine's 128th Brigade.

It seemed that by now, lessons had been learned, measures put in place to prevent such mistakes, even far from the front lines. Yet, clearly, they were not.

The commander of Ukraine's Land Forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi, issued a strong statement, saying he would personally oversee the situation. He announced an independent inspection involving military counterintelligence, stating: "Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who failed to act in time, will be held accountable. No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports."

"I will demand the strictest punishment," Drapatyi declared. He also added: "Those who continue to perform their duties carelessly, those who cling to outdated procedures at the expense of safety, and those who assert authority not in battle but by oppressing subordinates — all of them disgrace the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

For the first time, a high-ranking military leader has publicly taken personal control of an investigation. Shortly after, it was announced that Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, ordered the removal of both the head of the training center and the commander of the military unit in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Their training ground was the target of the March 1 attack that resulted in casualties among Ukrainian servicemen.

Situation on the front line – Kharkiv direction

One of the Ukrainian brigades holding the line in this sector is the 13th Operational Brigade of the National Guard. This unit has come a long way — from a volunteer territorial defense force to a fully equipped combat brigade with advanced technology and battlefield experience. According to multiple sources, this experience could serve as the foundation for forming an additional corps structure within the brigade, reflecting the high level of training among both officers and personnel. This, in turn, allows for scaling combat expertise and coordinating operations with other brigades that will be part of the corps.

Sergeant Oleksiy, call sign Morty, deputy head of the brigade’s planning department, reports that the situation remains stable. Russian forces continue assault operations but fail to gain ground. Ukrainian forces eliminate them at the approaches, preventing any buildup. Modern warfare has become a contest of electronic warfare and UAVs — Ukrainian troops use specific frequencies, Russians jam them, forcing adjustments, then Ukrainian forces disrupt enemy signals in return. This back-and-forth happens constantly. Russian forces also rely on fiber-optic drones, but Ukraine’s Defense Forces are ramping up their own use of such assets. Both sides are increasing the deployment of robotic platforms. However, all this technology is useless without properly trained crews.

Oleksiy also highlighted that the National Guard has an efficient system for sharing intelligence and best practices across all levels, from the brigade up to the National Guard's main headquarters. Within the brigade, commanders regularly meet, maintain horizontal communication, and document new or more effective tactics. This ensures rapid, effective scaling of knowledge, making the unit stronger with every engagement.