Brief Frontline Report – January 31st, 2026

Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.

Part 1

Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'Center' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have liberated the settlement of Toretskoe in the Donetsk People's Republic."

North of Krasnoarmeysk, in the Artemovka - Druzhkovka sector, the Russian Armed Forces are preparing a bridgehead in front of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive line along the Gruzskaya River. This line protects the right flank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces group defending the southern face of the Slavyansk direction.

The area features complex, sharply rugged terrain with numerous ravines and gullies. It is located in the interfluve of the Kazennyi Torets River and its tributary, the Gruzskaya River. It begins in the area of the settlement of Zolotoiy Kolodez, where advanced Russian Armed Forces units reached in the autumn of 2025, drawing part of the enemy's forces and reserves during the operation to liberate the Dimitrov - Krasnoarmeysk area. The watershed apex is in the area of the settlement of Krasny Kut, where the Gruzskaya River flows into the Kazennyi Torets. The soil is like clay and difficult to traverse during rains and floods—the area abounds with deposits and quarries for refractory and ceramic clay.

On January 31, Russian assault groups forded the Kazennyi Torets River in the area of the settlement of Artemovka, emerged on the left bank, and liberated the settlement of Toretskoe (48°30′8″ N 37°22′16″ E, population approx. 350). The rural settlement is located in the area of clay quarries and provides access to the watershed ridge at the start of the Grilichnaya and Viklechnaya ravines. The advance of our units into the area of the settlement of Gruzskoe splits this sector into two parts with flank envelopments. This advance will likely be supported by combined actions on the eastern face of the direction (Belokuzminovka-Verolyubovka) and on the western face (Novy Donbass - Dobropole - Zolotoiy Kolodez).

Part 2

Part 3

Read this report and many others on Marat Khairullin's Substack! That's where I post the high-definition maps, and frankly, the formatting on Substack makes the reports easier to follow. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.

🌒@EastCalling

Brief Frontline Report – January 31st, 2026

Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.

Part 2

Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Assault units of the 127th Division of the 5th Guards Combined Arms Army of the 'East' Group, during ongoing combat operations, have liberated the settlement of Petrovka in Zaporozhye Oblast.

The Primorye warriors developed the success on the sector, drove the enemy out of strongpoints, and consolidated on the captured lines. A defense area of up to 5 sq. km has been brought under control; adjacent tree belts and defensive hubs that ensured the enemy's hold on the settlement have been cleared.

Ukrainian Armed Forces losses in this sector of the front amounted to up to 10 pieces of equipment and a large number of personnel.
The enemy's attempts to hold the settlement by transferring reserves were unsuccessful—the equipment with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel was destroyed on the approaches."

After Russian Armed Forces units reached the left bank of the Gaichur River, a number of ravines originating on the watershed ridge were brought under control. Following this, the enemy's defensive line was divided into sectors, into which "wedges" were driven by assault groups of Russian units, which then secured themselves on bridgeheads. Subsequently, the bridgeheads were expanded and the enemy's defensive line was split into segments. Covering the transport hub of Verkhnyaya Tersa, the enemy prepared a defensive area in Tsvetkovoe - Petrovka (Svyatopetrovka) - Staroukrainka. The command of the "East" Group allowed the enemy to become engaged in counterattacks on the city of Gulyaipole, tying down the enemy's main forces and reserves in this sector with defensive actions. Simultaneously, they began active operations to eliminate the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive line along the watershed ridge of the Gaichur and Verkhnyaya Tersa rivers.

On January 30, the transport hub of Terenovatoe was brought under control.

On January 31, the settlement of Petrovka (47°41′28″ N 36°09′51″ E, population 78 in 2001, known as Svyatopetrovka since 2016) was liberated.

The transport hub of Verkhnyaya Tersa should prepare itself.

See Part 1

See Part 3

Read this report and many others on Marat Khairullin's Substack! That's where I post the high-definition maps, and frankly, the formatting on Substack makes the reports easier to follow. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.

🌒@EastCalling

Brief Frontline Report – January 31st, 2026

Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.

Part 3:

Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Combat drone strikes in the area of Sinelnikovo station have damaged electric train cars, freight cars, locomotives, tracks, power grids, administrative and production buildings. There are no casualties.

As a result of the strike, railway traffic between Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk has been halted."

To support the ongoing offensive operations being conducted by the Russian Armed Forces groupings "South," "Center," "East," and "Dnepr" along the entire line of contact, missile, aviation, and heavy UAV strikes are being delivered into the operational depth of the enemy's defense against key transport areas (Lozovaya - Pavlograd - Sinelnikovo - Zaporozhye - Dnepropetrovsk). Cutting off power supply is not a struggle against the population. It is the deprivation of electricity to defense enterprises, including railway traction substations. In transport hubs, infrastructure and rolling stock are being destroyed. A hunt is underway for automotive transport on the main radial highways connecting transport hubs with front-line supply routes.

Part 1

Part 2

Read this report and many others on Marat Khairullin's Substack! That's where I post the high-definition maps, and frankly, the formatting on Substack makes the reports easier to follow. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.

🌒@EastCalling

Epstein's files also mention Yevgeny Prigozhin - his name is mentioned seven times, under the description "Putin's chef".

Also, the documents mention:

👁Vladimir Putin - 1054 times;
👁Petro Poroshenko - 26 times (referred to as the "Chocolate King");
👁Vladimir Zelensky - 10 times;
👁The character Shrek

In short, guys, let's split up. At some point, this guy lost his mind and started adding everyone he could find on Wikipedia.

That's the case when it would really have been better if you were banned from Google😁

Source: 7:40 Ньюз
➖➖➖
Лука Ебков comments:
Zhirinovsky was found in Epstein's files. 5 times.

Didn't find yourself in Epstein's files? Then let's go and keep working!

Today, in all men's chat rooms, they're only discussing one thing: who found how many acquaintances and girlfriends in those very files...))

What's the big deal about men's chat rooms? We've even given our home chat a second life!

🌒@EastCalling

A summary infographic of territorial changes on the map Creamy Caprice, related to the conduct of military operations in the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone in January 2026.

The area controlled by the Russian Armed Forces in the SMO zone in January 2026 increased by 560.71 km², with an average advancement rate of +18.09 km² per day.

Map: www.creamy-caprice.net
➖➖➖
This is interesting, we aren't seeing the traditional January decrease in pace that we noticed previously.

All of the NAFOs shouting that "at this rate, it will take Russia decades to clear the Donbass" used a very specific calculation of average land taken between 2023 and 2024, and as we can see, Russia is not following that schedule.

Of course, wars are not won by land, but by breaking the enemy's ability to make war. That is the main goal. Not what farmhouse was taken yesterday. In this regard, focusing on square kilometers is missing the point entirely.

🌒@EastCalling