Brief Frontline Report – March 17th, 2026
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 1
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'North' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have established control over the settlement of Sopych in Sumy Oblast."
The change of operational periods (as the Russian Armed Forces refer to the seasonal periods for operating equipment and weaponry) from the autumn-winter to the spring-summer period requires commanders and chiefs at all levels to carry out a series of logistical support measures and adjust equipment and weaponry operating procedures. All of this necessitates allocating forces and resources for the transportation, storage, distribution, and commissioning of various material and technical supplies, as well as performing maintenance on equipment and weaponry. This places a strain on the transportation supply system and its protection from the enemy. In connection with this, the pace of advance naturally slows, without loss of operational initiative.
In the north of Sumy Oblast (conventionally, the Glukhov sector), combat operations continue in the border zone, and on March 17, control was established over the settlement of Sopych (51°50′54″ N 34°21′43″ E, population in 2025: 22 people). It is located on the right bank of the Kleven River, along whose course the state border with the Russian Federation runs. The settlement contains a military camp of military unit 9953 of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (the 5th Sumy Border Detachment of brigade level). A border crossing was equipped here, which was within the area of responsibility of the Sumy Border Detachment. In 2018, by order of the Government of Ukraine, the border crossing was closed.
To the south lies the settlement of Potapovka, where the enemy has established a defense area separating the Sopych bridgehead from the Bobylevka-Chervonaya Zarya buffer zone sector.
The "North" Group is forming a buffer zone south of the M-02 highway, with flank envelopments toward the enemy's defense sector of Tolstodubovo - Sukhodol - Kucherovka. On March 17, a long distance strike was carried out by the Russian Armed Forces against the Kucherovka area.
See Part 2
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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.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
🌒 @EastCalling
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 1
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'North' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have established control over the settlement of Sopych in Sumy Oblast."
The change of operational periods (as the Russian Armed Forces refer to the seasonal periods for operating equipment and weaponry) from the autumn-winter to the spring-summer period requires commanders and chiefs at all levels to carry out a series of logistical support measures and adjust equipment and weaponry operating procedures. All of this necessitates allocating forces and resources for the transportation, storage, distribution, and commissioning of various material and technical supplies, as well as performing maintenance on equipment and weaponry. This places a strain on the transportation supply system and its protection from the enemy. In connection with this, the pace of advance naturally slows, without loss of operational initiative.
In the north of Sumy Oblast (conventionally, the Glukhov sector), combat operations continue in the border zone, and on March 17, control was established over the settlement of Sopych (51°50′54″ N 34°21′43″ E, population in 2025: 22 people). It is located on the right bank of the Kleven River, along whose course the state border with the Russian Federation runs. The settlement contains a military camp of military unit 9953 of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (the 5th Sumy Border Detachment of brigade level). A border crossing was equipped here, which was within the area of responsibility of the Sumy Border Detachment. In 2018, by order of the Government of Ukraine, the border crossing was closed.
To the south lies the settlement of Potapovka, where the enemy has established a defense area separating the Sopych bridgehead from the Bobylevka-Chervonaya Zarya buffer zone sector.
The "North" Group is forming a buffer zone south of the M-02 highway, with flank envelopments toward the enemy's defense sector of Tolstodubovo - Sukhodol - Kucherovka. On March 17, a long distance strike was carried out by the Russian Armed Forces against the Kucherovka area.
See 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.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
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Brief Frontline Report – March 17th, 2026
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 2
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'South' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have liberated the settlement of Kaleniki in the Donetsk People's Republic."
On the Slavyansk sector, formations of the "South" Group have significantly advanced on several sections of the line of contact. The actions are organized straight out of an operational arts textbook: flanking envelopments, then wedge advances in the center that fragment the enemy's defense into smaller sectors, and then—once again—flanking envelopments that force the enemy to withdraw under threat of encirclement.
Significant advances have been made on the Lugovoe-Reznikovka, Petrovskoe-Bondarnoe, and Bondarnoe-Golubovka lines (highlighted on the map). Like snow melting under the rays of the spring sun, the enemy's defense is shrinking under the flanking envelopments of Russian formations.
In the center of the Seversk salient, following the liberation of the settlement of Reznikovka, Russian assault groups reached the left bank of the Sukhaya River and liberated the settlement of Kaleniki (48°50′33″ N 37°54′33″ E, population 65 in 2001). The rural settlement of Kaleniki is located on a front-line supply route connecting the Ukrainian Armed Forces' nodal defense areas in this sector—the settlements of Krivaya Luka and Rai-Alexandrovka. Relying on the Kaleniki-Reznikovka bridgehead, Russian units gain the ability to advance north toward the settlement of Krivaya Luka (3 kilometers in a straight line) and along the road southwest, through chalk quarries along the Sukhaya River, toward the settlement of Rai-Alexandrovka (5.5 kilometers). This advance creates a serious threat of encirclement for the enemy grouping occupying blocking positions in the sector north of the settlement of Nikiforovka. Given that reports are coming in of battles for the settlement of Nikiforovka, the enemy will be forced to abandon a large area of territory and withdraw to the Nikolaevka-Rai-Alexandrovka sector. Withdrawing to the Seversky Donets-Donbas canal south of the settlement of Orekhovatka will be prevented by Russian units advancing along the M-03 highway toward the settlements of Yurkovka and Fedorovka 2.
See Part 1
➖ ➖ ➖
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.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
🌒 @EastCalling
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 2
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'South' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have liberated the settlement of Kaleniki in the Donetsk People's Republic."
On the Slavyansk sector, formations of the "South" Group have significantly advanced on several sections of the line of contact. The actions are organized straight out of an operational arts textbook: flanking envelopments, then wedge advances in the center that fragment the enemy's defense into smaller sectors, and then—once again—flanking envelopments that force the enemy to withdraw under threat of encirclement.
Significant advances have been made on the Lugovoe-Reznikovka, Petrovskoe-Bondarnoe, and Bondarnoe-Golubovka lines (highlighted on the map). Like snow melting under the rays of the spring sun, the enemy's defense is shrinking under the flanking envelopments of Russian formations.
In the center of the Seversk salient, following the liberation of the settlement of Reznikovka, Russian assault groups reached the left bank of the Sukhaya River and liberated the settlement of Kaleniki (48°50′33″ N 37°54′33″ E, population 65 in 2001). The rural settlement of Kaleniki is located on a front-line supply route connecting the Ukrainian Armed Forces' nodal defense areas in this sector—the settlements of Krivaya Luka and Rai-Alexandrovka. Relying on the Kaleniki-Reznikovka bridgehead, Russian units gain the ability to advance north toward the settlement of Krivaya Luka (3 kilometers in a straight line) and along the road southwest, through chalk quarries along the Sukhaya River, toward the settlement of Rai-Alexandrovka (5.5 kilometers). This advance creates a serious threat of encirclement for the enemy grouping occupying blocking positions in the sector north of the settlement of Nikiforovka. Given that reports are coming in of battles for the settlement of Nikiforovka, the enemy will be forced to abandon a large area of territory and withdraw to the Nikolaevka-Rai-Alexandrovka sector. Withdrawing to the Seversky Donets-Donbas canal south of the settlement of Orekhovatka will be prevented by Russian units advancing along the M-03 highway toward the settlements of Yurkovka and Fedorovka 2.
See Part 1
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.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
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The one bright spot in the whole Trump catastrophe is that he is also ruining the plans of the people who absolutely deserve it. Hopefully, the Western hegemony doesn't survive Trump. Unfortunately, many good people have suffered and will continue to suffer, but we will come out the other end of this.
🌒 @EastCalling
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The failure of the C-RAM to repel and intercept the suicide drone that struck the American embassy in the center of the capital, Baghdad.
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Note: The rounds for the C-RAM are designed to explode at a certain distance so that they don't rain down on people.
🌒 @EastCalling
Note: The rounds for the C-RAM are designed to explode at a certain distance so that they don't rain down on people.
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Deputies do not vote for laws "under the IMF", because no one consulted them about these laws, said Igor Friz, a deputy from the "Servant of the People" party.
According to him, the government did not involve the parliament in signing commitments with the IMF, and now it is forcing it to vote on decisions that could destroy Ukraine's economic system.
"It turns out to be a rather ugly construct, when someone makes commitments on behalf of Ukraine, but it is the Verkhovna Rada that has to implement them and adopt the corresponding changes in legislation. In the opinion of most deputies, these commitments will destroy the economic system, in which hundreds of entrepreneurs are involved," noted the deputy.
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We've come full circle.
The entire reason for the current conflict, the entire reason for the Maidan, it all began with an economic agreement with the West.
Ukraine was offered two ways to recieve a bailout during the global financial crisis.
1. Russia's offer:
Russia was offering a direct loan amounting to $15 billion and lower gas prices with Ukraine simply having to agree to join the Russian-led Customs Union and stay out of the EU.
2. The West's offer:
The West offered a mere €610 million loan coupled with strict IMF mandated reforms in return for European integration and supposedly the opportunity to receive more support later.
Yanukovych chose the Russian way, and the rest was history.
Well, here they are, and NOW they decide they don't like the flavor?
🌒 @EastCalling
According to him, the government did not involve the parliament in signing commitments with the IMF, and now it is forcing it to vote on decisions that could destroy Ukraine's economic system.
"It turns out to be a rather ugly construct, when someone makes commitments on behalf of Ukraine, but it is the Verkhovna Rada that has to implement them and adopt the corresponding changes in legislation. In the opinion of most deputies, these commitments will destroy the economic system, in which hundreds of entrepreneurs are involved," noted the deputy.
We've come full circle.
The entire reason for the current conflict, the entire reason for the Maidan, it all began with an economic agreement with the West.
Ukraine was offered two ways to recieve a bailout during the global financial crisis.
1. Russia's offer:
Russia was offering a direct loan amounting to $15 billion and lower gas prices with Ukraine simply having to agree to join the Russian-led Customs Union and stay out of the EU.
2. The West's offer:
The West offered a mere €610 million loan coupled with strict IMF mandated reforms in return for European integration and supposedly the opportunity to receive more support later.
Yanukovych chose the Russian way, and the rest was history.
Well, here they are, and NOW they decide they don't like the flavor?
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East Calling
Deputies do not vote for laws "under the IMF", because no one consulted them about these laws, said Igor Friz, a deputy from the "Servant of the People" party. According to him, the government did not involve the parliament in signing commitments with the…
Seriously, this was what the whole Maidan was about. I cannot believe someone from Zelensky's own party seems ignorant of this fact...
This is what your people died for.
This is what your people died for.
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Israel is publicly calling on Iranians to revolt but privately admits that protesters will likely be "slaughtered," The Washington Post reports, citing a State Department document.
According to the document, Israeli officials say the Iranian regime is "not cracking" and will "fight to the end." If protests break out, the IRGC "will have the upper hand" and will suppress them.
Despite this, Israel still hopes for an uprising and wants the U.S. to be ready to support it, the publication notes.
However, American officials now also acknowledge that protesters face an extreme risk of threats from armed security forces.
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"Protesters." If I tried to overthrow the US government in a time of war, what would happen to me? What do you think?
🌒 @EastCalling
According to the document, Israeli officials say the Iranian regime is "not cracking" and will "fight to the end." If protests break out, the IRGC "will have the upper hand" and will suppress them.
Despite this, Israel still hopes for an uprising and wants the U.S. to be ready to support it, the publication notes.
However, American officials now also acknowledge that protesters face an extreme risk of threats from armed security forces.
"Protesters." If I tried to overthrow the US government in a time of war, what would happen to me? What do you think?
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Trump stated that being ahead of schedule with the military operation against Iran allows the US to save a lot of money.
"We're saving a lot of money by being ahead of schedule," Trump said at the White House.
According to him, no one expected that the US would be able to inflict "such damage on Iran in such a short time."
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Now he's flipped back to "everything is fine" mode.
You read it here, multibillion dollar wars of choice for Israel are a money saver.
🌒 @EastCalling
"We're saving a lot of money by being ahead of schedule," Trump said at the White House.
According to him, no one expected that the US would be able to inflict "such damage on Iran in such a short time."
Now he's flipped back to "everything is fine" mode.
You read it here, multibillion dollar wars of choice for Israel are a money saver.
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CENTCOM announced that it carried out an attack using several 5,000-pound GBU-72 A5K bombs against fortified sites housing anti-ship cruise missiles along the Iranian coast, near the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran doesn't have to fire missiles from the coast to be effective in stopping enemy vessels from using the Strait.
This is more military theater.
🌒 @EastCalling
Iran doesn't have to fire missiles from the coast to be effective in stopping enemy vessels from using the Strait.
This is more military theater.
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Numerous large-scale explosions inside the Kurdish headquarters in Erbil, northern Iraq.
🌒 @EastCalling
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