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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Latest information on the situation on the front line as of March 16 (updated)
2026-03-17
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:54 From 16:00 to 20:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 59 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

34 – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
13 – over the Moscow region, including 12 UAVs flying to Moscow,
Four – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
Four – over the territory of the Smolensk region,
Two – over the territory of the Tver region,
One – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One – over the territory of the Republic of Adygea
.
21:53 "Severiane" hit an American armored personnel carrier in the Sumy region,video.

21:28 Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov checked progress in carrying out combat missions by units and military units of the Southern Group of Forces.

20:19 Crews of 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns from the Vostok group worked on enemy UAV control points in the urban area of the village of Vozdvizhevka in the Zaporizhia region,video.

19:45 Zaporizhzhia direction successes of the Russian Armed Forces. March 16

In the Zaporizhzhia region, on the front line along the Lyubitske-Rozhdestvenskoye line, the Vostok group is eliminating a pocket.

Ukrainian military units in Vozdvyzhenka and Verkhnyaya Tersa are surrounded on three sides.

From Gorky, our assault aircraft are advancing north toward Verkhnyaya Tersa.

The Russian Armed Forces are expanding the control zone in the vicinity of Rozhdestvenskoye to the south, to Vozdvizhenka, and to the northwest, to the village of Zarnitsa.

The enemy did not make any active attempts to deploy infantry, concentrating on reinforcing and rotating personnel in the forward positions.

19:29 In the Darnitsky district of Kyiv, three employees of the Shopping Center forcibly mobilized a man without checking his documents, video.

18:41 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate criminal actions by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Belgorod region

According to local authorities, a civilian was injured in an FPV drone attack on a car in the town of Grayvoron. In the village of Rzhevka in the Shebekinsky District, a drone struck a minibus, injuring two civilians. A man was injured in a drone attack on a car on a business premises in the village of Grafovka in the Shebekinsky District.

17:42 In relation to the Ukrainian serviceman who participated in the illegal invasion of the Kursk region,excitedcriminal case

The Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against Vladimir Soroka, a soldier from the 41st separate mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine, who committed a terrorist act in the Kursk region (subparagraphs “a” and “b” of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

17:33 From 08:00 to 16:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 96 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

54 UAVs were flown over the Bryansk region,
11 UAVs were flown over the Moscow region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Kaluga region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Kursk region,
Five UAVs were flown over the Smolensk region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Belgorod region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Sea of Azov,
Two UAVs were flown over the Vladimir region,
One UAV was flown over the Yaroslavl region, and
One UAV was flown over the Republic of Adygea.

15:59 From the Ukrainian Armed Forces implemented an attack on the adjacent grounds of the Vasylivka District Hospital in the Zaporizhia region. The shelling damaged the façade of the medical facility, as well as cars in the parking lot.

15:25 In the Shebekinsky district, in the village of Malomikhaylovka, a drone struck and wounded a civilian.

The man was riding a bicycle at the time of the attack. An ambulance crew took him to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2. According to preliminary information, the victim suffered shrapnel wounds to the abdomen and leg. The necessary medical assistance is being provided.

14:33 UAV operators of the 71st Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Guards "North" early in the morning opened the location of the enemy's Novator armored fighting vehicle in the area of the village of Volokhovskoye (Volchansky District).

13:38 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of March 16, 2026

Units of the "North" force grouping improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Bobylivka, Myropillia, Bititsa, Ryasne, and Kucherovka in Sumy Oblast. In Khar'kov Oblast, units of two mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated near the settlements of Kolodezne, Granov, Shelkoplyasy, Rubizhne, Veseloe, and Berezniki in Khar'kov Oblast.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 285 service members, three armored combat vehicles, 11 vehicles, and an artillery piece. Two electronic warfare stations and eight supply depots were destroyed.

Units of the "West" group of forces improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated the personnel and equipment of four mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, and a territorial defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Krasny Liman and Brusovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Osinovo, Borovaya, and Palamarevka in the Khar'kov region.

The enemy lost over 180 troops, a tank, a US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, four armored combat vehicles, 24 vehicles, and two artillery pieces. An electronic warfare station and four ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Southern Group of Forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a naval infanret brigade near the settlements of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Rai-Aleksandrivka, and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The enemy lost up to 130 troops, three armored combat vehicles, 14 vehicles, and three field artillery pieces, including two Western-made ones. Two ammunition depots and seven supply depots were destroyed.

Units of the Center Forces Group improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, an airborne assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and three National Guard brigades near the settlements of Maryivka, Dobropillya, Belitske, Hryshino, and Kryvorizhzhia in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopidgorodne in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 300 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 16 cars, an artillery piece, and two electronic warfare stations.

Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses. They defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, an airborne assault brigade, two assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a National Guard brigade near the settlements of Barvinovka, Vozdvizhevka, Kopani, and Rivne in Zaporizhia Oblast and Prosyana in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The enemy lost more than 280 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 10 cars, an artillery piece and a supply depot.

Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized and mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Zaporozhets and Preobrazhenka in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Up to 55 military personnel, 11 vehicles, four electronic warfare stations and a supply depot were destroyed.

13:01 In the village of Bessonovka, Belgorod District, a drone struck a service vehicle.wounded a fighter of the Orlan unit.

An ambulance crew transported the victim to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2, where he was diagnosed with a mine blast injury, barotrauma, and a shrapnel wound to the back. Medical care was provided, and further treatment will continue on an outpatient basis.

11:15 Summary about the operational situation in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.

In total, 27 enemy drones of various types were shot down between 9:00 AM on March 15 and 7:00 AM on March 16. The enemy used artillery on evacuated areas 41 times. Drones attacked our territory three times by dropping explosive devices.

10:43 In the small village of Korenek (Shostka district) the enemy equipped the UAV launcher from which Ukrainian terrorists launched attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Khomutovsky district of the Kursk region.

UAV operators from the Northern Group destroyed the enemy drone control center along with valuable equipment.

10:14 Civilian suffered as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In the village of Grafovka, Shebekinsky District, an FPV drone struck a car on a business premises. Self-defense forces transported the man, who is in serious condition with an open head injury and shrapnel wounds to the head and back, to the Shebekinsky Central District Hospital. All necessary medical assistance is being provided.

9:42 During the past night from 23:00 Moscow time on March 15 to 8:00 Moscow time on March 16, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 145 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

53 UAVs were flown over the Moscow region,
38 UAVs were flown over the Bryansk region,
11 UAVs were flown over the Yaroslavl region,
Eight UAVs were flown over the Kaluga region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Smolensk region,
Six UAVs were flown over the Rostov region,
Five UAVs were flown over the Ulyanovsk region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Tver region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Voronezh region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Kostroma region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Republic of Crimea,
Two UAVs were flown over the Volgograd region,
One UAV was flown over the Krasnodar region, and
One UAV was flown over the Saratov region.

9:00 Center artillerymen destroys enemy

The crew of the 152mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer hit a forward command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a Krasnopol-M2 high-precision projectile in the Dobropillya direction.

A crew of Russian paratroopers using a 152mm Giatsint-B gun destroyed an enemy group at a stronghold in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.

8:32 Frontline summary as of the morning of March 16, 26

Zaporizhzhya Front
In the Kamensk direction, there are no changes in the LBS.

In the Hulyai-Polye sector, Russian Armed Forces are fighting on the approaches to Hulyai-Polye.

There is progress between Zalizichny and Mirny.

Russian troops are occupying positions south of Verkhnyaya Tersa, as well as north and northwest of Vozdvizhevka.

Fighting has been reported in Zarnitsa.

Donetsk Front:
On the Krasnoarmeysk front, Russian forces are conducting a cleanup operation on the northwestern outskirts of Grishino.

Fighting continues for a mine west of Rodinske.

On the Dobropolsky front, fighting continues for Belitskoye.

In the Konstantinovsky direction, fighting is ongoing in the area between Ilyinovka and Konstantinovka, as well as to the east of the city.

In the Krasnolimansk direction, Russian forces are advancing between Aleksandrovka and Sosnovy.

In the Seversk direction, there is progress south of Reznikovka.

Russian forces are taking up new positions northwest of Krivaya Luka.

Fighting is ongoing near Nikiforovka and Fedorovka Vtoraya.

Heavy fighting is ongoing in the Kupyansk direction in the north of the city.

Russian forces are pressuring the enemy's defenses in the areas of Petropavlovka, Podolovka, and Kucherovka.

In the Volchansk direction, there is progress in Verkhnyaya Pisarevka.

Fighting continues in the Volchansk Khutors.

8:00 Calculation of the Tornado-S MLRS of the Vostok group inflicted rushing blows to enemy reserves in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Posted by:badanov

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