The current situation constitutes a large-scale, front-wide offensive.

Russian forces are also conducting weekly aerial attacks involving 200–500 drones across Ukraine.

Russia periodically in 2025 employing extreme measures to seize multiple towns, particularly in the eastern regions (not all attempts are successful, but some are).

In the absence of a ceasefire, these sustained and sequential large-scale operations align with the definition of an attempted large-scale Russian offensives

Russia is taking more casualties per day from a meat grinding offensive than they have at any point in the war. This should resolve to Yes. It's difficult to know what would qualify more as a large offensive than sustained assaults on Ukrainian positions with the highest casualties of the war.

How would you distinguish between an attempt that went nowhere and no attempt?

@42irrationalist If in media there will be words about such an offensive (whether it went nowhere or not), it will count as an attempt

@V_L IMO, this is very vague. What media will you accept? What counts as a large-scale?

@V_L which media do you read? The large scale Pokrovsk offensive? Kupiansk offensive? Gulyaipole offensive?

@yako chatGPT: Here’s a clear picture of the Pokrovsk, Kupiansk, and Huliaipole offensives in the 2025 Ukraine–Russia war, based on current open-source reporting and battlefield summaries:

• Reuters

• The Guardian

• Reuters

• Financial Times

🪖 Pokrovsk Offensive (Donetsk region)

What it is:
A protracted and intense Russian offensive aimed at capturing Pokrovsk — a key logistical and transport hub in Donetsk Oblast — and encircling Ukrainian defensive lines in the broader Donetsk sector of the front.

Status & developments in 2025:

• Russian forces have repeatedly attacked around Pokrovsk throughout 2025, attempting to encircle and capture the city. Ukrainian forces have been defending amid heavy combat and long-lasting clashes. (The New Voice of Ukraine)

• The front has been among the busiest and most violent sectors, with dozens of combat clashes reported daily. (Ukrinform)

• Both sides have traded control claims and heavy fighting continues; Russian forces claimed capture at times, but Ukrainian sources reported that fighting persisted and positions were contested well into late 2025. (IntelliNews)

Put simply:
No decisive breakthrough yet — intense combat continues, with Russia pushing to encircle and Ukraine fighting to hold defensive lines.

🪖 Kupiansk Offensive (Kharkiv region)

What it is:
A large-scale engagement focused on Kupiansk and the Oskil River line in northeastern Ukraine. Russian forces launched operations to gravitate control of river crossings, advance into strategic positions, and seize the town itself.

Status & developments in 2025:

• The Kupiansk offensive began in late 2024 and has continued into 2025; Russian forces established bridgeheads and pushed toward Kupiansk and nearby settlements. (Wikipedia)

• By mid-December 2025, Ukraine claimed to control nearly 90% of Kupiansk, though Russia denied losing the city and both sides cite conflicting battlefield reports. (Reuters)

• There are credible reports Ukraine regained significant control or at least contested most of Kupiansk, highlighting active fighting with local counterattacks. (United24 Media)

Put simply:
This offensive has been fluid — Russian advances earlier in 2025 have been met with Ukrainian counter-actions, and while Russia aimed to capture Kupiansk outright, Ukrainian control assertions suggest a contested battlefield.

🪖 Huliaipole Offensive (Southern front: Zaporizhzhia / Dnipropetrovsk)

What it is:
A sustained Russian-launched offensive in southern Ukraine, centered on Huliaipole and surrounding northern Zaporizhzhia and eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts.

Status & developments in 2025:

• Began in September 2025 and remains ongoing as of December 2025. (Wikipedia)

• It forms part of Russia’s broader push on the southern front, intensifying its efforts to advance westward from occupied territory deeper into Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia/Dnipropetrovsk lines.

Put simply:
This is a multi-month Russian offensive in the south, less high-profile than Kupiansk/Pokrovsk but important for the broader southern campaign.

🧠 Big Picture (2025 context)

• Fighting in Donetsk (Pokrovsk) remains relentless and one of the war’s most active fronts. (Ukrinform)

• The Kupiansk sector saw dynamic control changes with heavy fighting and counterattacks. (Reuters)

• Huliaipole is an ongoing southern axis offensive with continued battles. (Wikipedia)

Across fronts, Russia continues persistent offensive operations while Ukraine defends and launches local counterattacks amid sustained bombardments (missiles, drones, artillery). (The Guardian)

If you want more detail, I can map these offensives to a front-line timeline (when each began, major phases, and key territorial changes).

@V_L chatGPT: Here are Western-media examples and additional large-scale offensive actions involving notable offensives. I’ll also include links you can cite.

• Understanding War

• Understanding War

• Reuters

• Le Monde.fr

🔎 Western & independent reporting of large-scale offensive actions:

Bakhmut

• Battle of Bakhmut — One of the longest and most intense battles of the war, widely covered by Western outlets including The New York Times, BBC, and Reuters. It involved protracted close-quarters urban combat, heavy forces on both sides, and sustained Russian offensive pressure over many months. (Wikipedia)

Pokrovsk / Myrnohrad

• ISW analysis notes that Russian forces are attempting to complete encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad, indicating concentrated offensive efforts. (Understanding War)

• Multiple Ukrainian Defense General Staff reports show dozens to hundreds of Russian assault actions daily on the Pokrovsk front — e.g., 51 Russian assaults plus heavy bombardment across numerous positions. (Pravda)

  • Western outlets such as Reuters and AP routinely cite these General Staff assessments when describing Russian offensive pressure.

Huliaipole / Gulyaypole

• ISW and Reuters cite Russian offensive gains north and south of Huliaipole with continued fighting inside and around the town, part of Russia’s continued push westward. (Reuters)

Vovchansk & Kupiansk (Kharkiv region)

• Reports from Ukrainian General Staff and Ukrainian coverage show persistent Russian assaults near Vovchansk and on the Kupiansk front, with multiple combat clashes and efforts to break through defensive lines. (Pravda)

• Western coverage (e.g., Reuters) has noted Russian efforts to push into this northern sector at times when significant movements or territorial gains occur — especially when towns or villages change hands or defensive lines shift.

Other Large-Scale Russian Offensive Operations Covered by Western Media

These operations also illustrate the pattern of large-scale Russian offensives over time:

🔸 Kostiantynivka (Sumy Oblast, 2025)

• Russia seized the village of Kostiantynivka during a 2025 Spring offensive, involving tens of thousands of troops in sustained ground operations with territorial gains. (Wikipedia)

🔸 Siversk (Donetsk, late 2025)

• Ukraine lost Siversk after months of intense urban combat and Russian pressure — widely covered by Western media including Le Monde. (Le Monde.fr)

🔸 Battle of Vuhledar (2023–2024)

• A major battle involving large formations, heavy armor and artillery, and strategic objectives, described in Western/encyclopedic sources as one of the significant frontline engagements. (Wikipedia)

🔸 Kurakhove / Pokrovsk Axis (2024–2025)

• The Battle of Kurakhove and linked Russian operations in the Donetsk region were reported by Western news outlets like Reuters and The Guardian as part of Russia’s broader Donbas offensive. (Wikipedia)

Examples in Western Media (Links)

Major Western reports on Russian offensive activity & attacks:

• Reuters – Russia captures village near Huliaipole, pushes offensive
  Russia says it captures village in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine defending major town (Reuters)

• AP News – Large drone/missile attack with strategic intent
  Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 3 people and cuts power (AP News)

• The Guardian – Russian bombardment & frontline activity
  Ukraine war briefing: Russian oil rig hit; over 60 attacks on Pokrovsk (The Guardian)

(These stories illustrate both tactical large-scale strikes and ground offensive pressure across multiple sectors.)

Summary of Large-Scale Offensive Patterns

✔ Sustained offensives involving hundreds of combat clashes, repeated assaults, and territorial objectives at Pokrovsk, Huliaipole, and northern Kharkiv/Kherson fronts. (Pravda)
✔ Strategic gains and battles covered by Western media and independent analysts — from Bakhmut to Siversk and Kostiantynivka. (Le Monde.fr)
✔ Broad coordinated attacks using drones, artillery, infantry, and mechanized units, confirming large-scale offensive intent. (AP News)