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Russo-Ukraine War - 20 August 2025 - Day 1274

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that open source reporting indicates Russian children and young people are being taught and trained in the operation and technical underpinnings of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) at more than 500 schools in Russia, as well as 30 colleges with practical training centres. More than 2,500 teachers are reported to have been trained to teach in this field. This forms part of Russia's Minister of Education and Science Valery Falkov's May 2024 stated intention to have trained one million UAS specialists by 2030.

On 12 June 2025 Russian President Putin also reportedly stated that the development and deployment of a separate branch of specific uncrewed systems forces within the Russian Armed Forces was currently taking place.

The teaching and instruction of Russian children and young people in the use of UAS is a notable development in the highly likely continuing militarisation of Russian education, a trend which has increased since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Together with Putin's reported statement, this also highlights the continually increasing importance of UAS in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as Russia's almost certain intent to significantly increase both its UAS proficiency, and the scope and scale of its UAS capabilities, in the longer term.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 128 combat. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively give an offence to the Russian enemy's attempts to advance deep into Ukrainian territory.

Russian zagarbniki made two missile strikes, using five missiles, 43 aviation strikes, dropping 69 controlled bombs. In addition, 1763 kamikaze drones were recruited to impress and carried out 3892 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the North Slobozhansky and Kursky directions, four combat clashes with Russian zagarbnikami. The Russian enemy launched 13 air strikes, dropped 29 controlled bombs, launched 198 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, 15 of which were from reactive systems of arson fire.
Today, the Russian enemy attacked nine times the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the South Slobozhansky direction in the areas of settlements Vovchansk, Ambarné, Figolivka and in the direction of Hatnogo, Katerynivka.
In the direction of Kupyansky, Russian forces carried out two offensive actions in the Golubivki district and in the direction of kupyansky.
In the Lyman direction, the Defense Forces have already repelled 24 Russian attacks in the areas of Karpivka, Ridkodub, Kolodyazi, Mirne, Torske and towards the settlements Olgivka, Shandrigolove, Yampil, Dronivka, Grigorivka; four more clashes are still ongoing.
In the sívers ,komu direction, the Russian enemy attacked five times near grigorívka, pereíznogo and towards viímka, fedorívka. All attacks of the opponent are repelled.
In the Kramatorsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled one Russian attack in the direction of the settlement of Stupochka.
In the direction of Torets Наkomu today, there were 10 boêzítknen к. The Russian enemy tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of Toretsk, Yablunivka, Scherbinivka and in the direction of Stepanivka, Poltavka, Popovoy Yar; one attack is still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsky direction since the beginning of this day, the Russian opponent 36 times attacked positions in the areas of settlements Volodymyrivka, Nikanorivka, Fedorivka, Novoekonomíčne, Mirolyubivka, Lisivka, Zvirove, Kotline, Udaachne, Gorihove, Novoukrainka, Dachne and towards Bilitsky, Rodinsky, Mirnohrad.
Today in this direction, according to preliminary data, 112 Russian occupants are defecated, 67 of which - irrevocably. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed one unit of automobile equipment, four motorcycles, six unmanned aircraft and a BPLA control point; three artillery systems and 10 shelters for the enemy personnel were also damaged.
In the Novopavlovsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 18 Russian attacks in the areas of settlements Tolstoy, Shevchenko, Free Field, Voskresenko, Green Field and towards Filia, Komyshuvaha, Sichnevy and Novogrigorivka. Three more clashes are underway.
In the direction of Gulyaipils піkomu, the Russian opponent did not carry out assault actions.
In the Orihiv direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled one Russian attack in the direction of Primorsky.
In the Pridniprovsky direction, Russian units three times tried to go forward, received a cut off.