Brief Frontline Report – October 21st, 2025

Report by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.

Translator Note: I've been working with Mikhail to update the English transliteration of city and settlement names to the Romanized Russian spellings. This way, the maps will match the spelling in the text without having to provide multiple names for the same settlement. It is a work in progress, but it should improve the English speaking audience's experience!

Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'Center' Group, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the settlement of Ivanovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region." Marked with a Russian flag on the map."

After the Russian Armed Forces liberated the settlement of Lenino on the border with Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk region, we suggested in the report dated 20.10.25 that this was part of an operation to reach the defensive line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at Sergeevka-Mezhevoe-Fedorovskoe-Novopavlovka in the operational plan and preparatory actions to eliminate the Novopavlovka salient of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in our tactical plan. According to the logic of events, the left flank (southern face) of our group encircling the Novopavlovka salient should then become active. This is exactly what happened—two days later, on October 22, the assault troops of the 228th Guards Motor Rifle Leningrad-Pavlovsk Red Banner Regiment liberated the large village of Ivanovka (48°05′55″ N, 36°38′34″ E, about 1,000 inhabitants). It is located on the right (western) bank of the Volchya (Wolf) River in the Dnepropetrovsk region of Ukraine. Moreover, the river in this area has a complex floodplain—meandering channel, oxbow lakes, and swampy lakes. Nevertheless, the Russian Armed Forces have another serious bridgehead on the right bank. This allows operations southwest towards the Gavrilovka-Podgavrilovka area, covering the H-15 Pokrovskoe-Gavrilovka route and covering the defense node of Velikomikhailovka-Orestopol, northeast into the rear of the Ukrainian defense area of Novopavlovka, or across open terrain northwest towards the Kamenka River and Shirokaya Ravine, splitting the Ukrainian defense into two sectors.

Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'East' Group continued advancing deep into the enemy's defense, liberating the settlement of Pavlovka in the Zaporozhye region." Marked with a Russian flag on the map.*

Further south, in the Zaporozhye direction, the control zone along the right (eastern) bank of the Yanchur River opposite the settlement of Uspenovka has been expanded. The settlement of Pavlovka (47°47′20″ N, 36°24′10″ E, about 80 inhabitants) was liberated. Alternating pressure on the Ukrainian defense throughout the week: north - Privolye, south - Poltavka, center - Pavlovka, allowed the Russian Armed Forces to reach the Yanchur River line in several places and prepare bridgeheads to encircle the Ukrainian defense areas along the entire length of the river from the settlement of Alekseevka to Novouspenevskoe. They are visibly shaking the Nazis. Ahead lies the line of the Gaichur River.

The city of Orekhov (further west of the maps shown, near where the fighting in Rabotino took place) should be worried (the sentence for the Makhnovist Gulyaipole has already been signed*).

*During the Civil War of 1918-1920, it was the residence of the anarchist Nestor Makhno's gang. They were called "Makhnoites."

Read this report and many others on Marat's Substack! There, you will find the high-definition maps as well as additional details. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.

🌒@EastCalling