March 22-29 live war map: Russian forces launch offensive along entire front, creating new threat

Russian offensive in Zaporizhzhia region

Over the past two weeks, the occupying Russian forces have resumed their offensive in the Zaporizhzhia direction on a 15 km stretch between Piatykhatky and Shcherbaky, 40 km from the city of Zaporizhzhia. At present, given the forces gathered in this area, their offensive is tactical in nature and aimed at capturing the positions that the Ukrainian Defense Forces liberated during the counteroffensive of 2023. In particular, the Russian troops want to capture the Ukrainian strongholds in Stepove and Shcherbaky. 

For this purpose, they concentrated not only overwhelming number of personnel, but also drones and artillery. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command knew about the Russian plans and prepared for defense, and therefore this offensive largely failed, because advancing 2 km in some areas in 2 weeks is not a sign of a successful offensive by a 70,000-strong grouping of troops. Although Russian tactical gains can be considered a certain tactical success, as the rocky road between Stepove and Mali Shcherbaky was cut a few days ago. By doing so, the Russian forces complicated the logistics between Ukrainian positions.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

The Russians managed to engage in fighting for Mali Shcherbaky and part of Shcherbaky, and they also entered Lobkove, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are preventing them from gaining a foothold there. In Stepove, the front line remains stable.

There are currently no signs that the Russian army wants to launch a more powerful offensive against the city of Zaporizhzhia. Most likely, their actions are related to the negotiation process, during which they were persuaded to retreat from the ZNPP.

Russian offensive in Velykomykhailivka and Novopavlivka sectors slows down

Despite the fact that the exit and cutting of the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia road near the village of Komar is one of the priority tasks for the Russian military in this section of the front, their offensive convulsions have been crushed by the efforts of Ukrainian heroes since March. On the western flank, near the villages of Novosilka, Burlatske and Pryvilne, after a series of counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the front line froze. From the north, the occupying Russian forces eventually managed to expand their zone of control in the village of Dniproenerhia, to which they had been making their way along both banks of the Mokri Yaly River throughout March. The Russian troops are trying to build on their success and are attacking further north toward the village of Vesele, but so far they have not been able to gain a foothold. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces counterattacked Skudne and thus prevented the Russian offensive from developing on both banks.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

In the Kostiantynopil area, the Ukrainian Defense Forces also launched a counterattack between Oleksiivka and Andriivka. Although the Russian troops have been announcing the capture of both Andriivka and Kostiantynopil for several weeks now, in reality, a significant part of these villages is either in the gray zone or under Ukrainian control. Unable to advance “head-on”, the occupying Russian army went around and attacked towards Rozlyv, where they expanded their control zone by 5.5 km square. Currently, there are ongoing counter-battles, during which the Ukrainian Defense Forces have repeatedly pushed the Russians away from Rozlyv, but they are stubbornly trying to enter the village and gain a foothold. So far, to no avail. 

Pokrovsk hell

Although almost the entire front line is now active, it is around Pokrovsk that a third of all battles in this war are taking place — more than 400 this week. The Russian-backed militants have gathered their forces and are conducting a series of offensives, some of which have yielded some results. In particular, they managed to retake most of Pishchane. But the Ukrainian Defense Forces still hold the northern outskirts of the village. On the western flank near Uspenivka, counterattacks continued all week, as a result of which the Russian forces drove Ukrainian troops out of the southern part of the village and launched a series of attacks on Novooleksandrivka. However, the Russians failed to gain a foothold in either Uspenivka or Novooleksandrivka. Heavy fighting is currently taking place there. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to build on their success in Kotlyne, where they expanded their control around the railway station. Although Ukrainian soldiers are still unable to drive the Russians out of the industrial area, this is the only seriously fortified area they hold north of the road from Pokrovsk to Mezhova.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

On the eastern flank, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to successfully maintain control of the Pokrovsk - Kostiantynivka road junction. The Russian forces are trying to find Ukrainian weaknesses in other areas. This week, they managed to advance in the gray zone between Baranivka and Tarasivka and seize the village of Zelene Pole. Next, the occupation army will try to further expand the front line towards the road to Kostiantynivka, which seems to be a new priority target for the Russians.   

Offensive on Kostiantynivka

It has been known for a long time that Kostiantynivka would again be a target for the Russians, as it was the target of the offensives on Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. This week, however, troops in the area of the Donetsk - Kostiantynivka highway, redeployed here a few weeks ago from the Kurakhove front, have become more active. Although the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to stabilize the front in Toretsk and in the New York area, the occupying Russian forces took advantage of the additional reserves and attacked near Panteleimonivka and Oleksandropil. As a result, half of Panteleimonivka is occupied, and Oleksandropil has mostly fallen into a gray zone. The opening of this new front could have an extremely negative impact on the neighboring fronts, primarily on the Toretsk front, but also on the Pokrovsk front.  

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

Russian army’s breakthrough in Lyman sector

The attack on Lyman is the same attack on Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, only from the north. For a month and a half, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to restrain the occupying Russian army and prevent a breakthrough to Lyman through Kolodiazi or Yampolivka. Ukrainian forces even held part of Terny. However, the other day, the Russians launched a new massive offensive and significantly expanded their zone of control in this area of the front. In particular, on the eastern bank of the Zherebets River, they completely occupied Terny and forced the Ukrainian Defense Forces to withdraw from the part of Yampolivka that had fallen into the gray zone. However, the Russian invaders still cannot drive Ukrainian units out of Yampolivka, so they shifted their focus and began attacking further south to Torske to get into the rear of the Yampolivka defenders.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, Photo: Espreso

In the west, they managed to make an 8-kilometer breakthrough in the direction of Katerynivka and seized 14 square kilometers between Katerynivka and Kolodiazi. In this way, the Russians significantly extended the front line of their offensive on Lyman, and created an opportunity to break through to Oskil in another place — south of Borova.

Offensive on Borova and the 3rd Army Corps

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have begun a structural reform to create corps. The first such corps began to be formed on the basis of the 3rd Assault Brigade, which is holding the line in the Borova direction and partially in the Lyman direction. Recently, they conducted a demonstration operation to liberate the village of Nadiia in Luhansk region. The Russians had been attacking this village for two months and expended two mechanized regiments on it, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated it in 30 hours. The village has a certain tactical importance for the defense of Borova.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

Meanwhile, in the Kupyansk direction, the Russian troops advanced 2 km west near the village of Orlianka. This is the first advance in this area in the last 10 months. We hope the frontline will remain stable in the future.

Kursk, Sumy, and Belgorod regions — new buffer zone

While the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to hold the border zone near Sudzha with virtually no territorial changes, and the Russians are also trying to get behind Ukrainian lines in the area of Basivka village without making any progress, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have launched a new operation in the Belgorod region. In particular, the Ukrainian forces occupied the village of Demydivka and expanded their control to the north and south, creating an 8 km buffer zone. At the same time, Ukrainian warplanes struck bridges in Hrafivka and Hanivka and destroyed four helicopters at Ivnya airport, 60 kilometers from the border. At the moment, there is no talk of an offensive deep into the Belgorod region, but Ukrainian troops have thus tied up a significant part of the Russian troops who were released in the Kursk region and were ready to redeploy to Ukraine. In addition, this buffer zone could become a prototype for the future border between Ukraine and Russia. 

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, photo: Espreso

The maps were created using data from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other verified open sources. They are approximate and only represent general trends in the combat zone.