Frontline Updates inside the Special Military Operation
Welcome to "Frontline Updates," PODCAST. Insights from the Frontlines, where we provide exclusive updates on global military developments. Today, we are joined by Colonel A.C. Oguntoye, an Infantry Officer, to discuss the progress of the special military operation.
Frontline Updates inside the Special Military Operation
When Roads Become Kill Zones: The Art of Modern Military Isolation
The battlefield landscape in Eastern Ukraine continues to transform as Russian forces implement sophisticated isolation tactics reminiscent of previous successful campaigns. Through an exclusive interview with Colonel AC Oguntoy, we gain unprecedented access to the strategic thinking behind what military analysts now call the "Sumy bottleneck."
At the heart of this strategy lies a fundamental shift away from direct confrontation. Rather than assaulting Ukrainian fortifications head-on, Russian forces are methodically severing critical supply and evacuation routes, creating what Colonel Oguntoy describes as "attrition on a schedule." Particularly around Unikovka, a single paved highway has become a lifeline for Ukrainian forces—and simultaneously their greatest vulnerability. Russian drone and artillery strikes have transformed this corridor into a "kill zone," forcing defenders to adopt increasingly desperate "mosquito logistics" by breaking supply efforts into smaller, harder-to-detect units.
The briefing reveals substantial gains across multiple fronts, with several settlements liberated in the north, west, and south. Colonel Oguntoy reports striking casualty figures, with Ukrainian forces suffering over 7,000 personnel losses in the past week alone and more than 70,000 in the Kursk Axis since the beginning of hostilities. The destruction of Western-supplied equipment—including US-made Bradley fighting vehicles and French VAB armored transports—underscores both the intensity of the conflict and NATO's significant material investment. Meanwhile, Russian air defenses have been exceptionally active, intercepting over 1,100 UAVs alongside conventional aircraft and guided munitions.
How will Ukrainian forces respond to this strategic chokehold? Can they establish alternative supply routes under such intense pressure? Listen now for the full briefing, and stay with Frontline Updates for continuing coverage of this evolving conflict. Share your thoughts on these developments and subscribe for weekly expert analysis of global military affairs.
Frontline Updates, where we delve deep into military strategies and updates from conflict zones. Today, we're discussing the progress of the ongoing special military operation as of March 28, 2025. I'm your host, Sharifa Mohamed MGT.
Speaker 2:I'm Colonel AC Obentoy, an infantry officer. Cumulative losses since the beginning of operations. The briefing provides a cumulative account of the overall destruction inflicted on Ukrainian military assets since the beginning of operations, including a significant number of aircraft, helicopters, drones and various ground vehicles. This comprehensive tally serves to contextualize the scale and intensity of the conflict comprehensive tally serves to contextualize the scale and intensity of the conflict.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Frontline Updates, your trusted source for the latest developments on security and defense operations involving military forces. I'm your host and today we have an exclusive interview with Colonel AC Oguntoy, who will provide insights into the progress of the Special Military Operation as of March 28, 2025. Colonel Ogun Toye, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Colonel, let's start with an overview. What's the current status of operations from March 22 through March 28?
Speaker 2:Over the past week, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation executed seven coordinated strikes using high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial systems. These strikes specifically targeted military airfields, command posts, training centers and storage facilities used by the armed forces of Ukraine. We also hit areas associated with drone operations, ammunition depots and temporary deployment zones for nationalist formations.
Speaker 1:That's a wide range of targets. Were there any significant territorial changes as a result?
Speaker 2:Yes, several key settlements were liberated. In the north, our forces retook the village of Gagalevka through decisive operations. In the west, we gained control of Marnoi in the Donetsk People's Republic and Krasnoye Pervoy in the Kharkov region. Additionally, units in the Dnepr military group liberated Maly Shcherbaki in Zaporizhia.
Speaker 1:Could you speak to the scale of enemy losses across these operations?
Speaker 2:Yes, in the northern sector alonerainian forces lost over 2 100 personnel, along with tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems and several electronic warfare stations. Our western group inflicted over 1 600 personnel losses on the enemy, destroyed numerous nato supplied vehicles and neutralized ammunition depots. Similar figures come from the southern and central sectors. The center group's operations led to more than 3,300 Ukrainian personnel losses, including a wide array of Western-supplied equipment.
Speaker 1:You mentioned NATO-supplied equipment. Can you elaborate?
Speaker 2:Yes, you mentioned NATO-supplied equipment. Can you elaborate? Yes, we encountered and destroyed a number of US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, HMMWVs and a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. French-made VAB armored vehicles were also neutralized.
Speaker 1:This underscores the extent of Western military support to Ukrainian forces.
Speaker 2:Were there any updates on the use of air power and unmanned systems during this reporting period. Absolutely, Our air defense systems have been highly active. Over the past week, we downed 2 MiG-29 aircraft, 27 JDAM guided bombs and 20 AMARS rockets. Additionally, we intercepted more than 1,100 UAVs. This highlights the intensity of air and drone activity in the theater.
Speaker 1:Let's zoom into one specific theater the Kursk region. There's been renewed focus there. What's the situation?
Speaker 2:The Kursk direction has seen heavy engagement. Our northern group of forces successfully liberated Gagalevka and neutralized multiple Ukrainian brigades, including mechanized airborne assault and even a presidential guard brigade. We struck enemy forces in over a dozen settlements in the Sumy region as well, targeting both personnel and logistical infrastructure.
Speaker 1:Is there a cumulative assessment of Ukrainian losses in that sector?
Speaker 2:Yes. In total, during the fighting in the Kursk Axis, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 70,000 personnel since the beginning of hostilities. Lost more than 70,000 personnel since the beginning of hostilities. This includes hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles, dozens of MR systems, electronic warfare stations and various engineering and logistics vehicles.
Speaker 1:That's a staggering figure For our listeners.
Speaker 2:Does this mean the operation is near completion? Not yet. While we've made substantial progress in degrading enemy capabilities and securing key terrain, the operation is ongoing. Our mission remains the systematic dismantling of the Ukrainian military infrastructure to secure our territorial interests and maintain regional stability.
Speaker 1:What exactly are we talking about when analysts say the Russians may be creating a Bakhmut-style bottleneck in Sumy?
Speaker 2:At its core. It's about cutting off an enemy's lifeline. In Bakhmut and later in Avdiivka, russian forces didn't just attack fortifications directly. Instead, they methodically severed the Ukrainian supply and evacuation routes, eventually collapsing those positions from the outside in. What we're now seeing in Sumy, particularly around Unikovka, follows that same pattern.
Speaker 1:And what's happening specifically in Unikovka.
Speaker 2:That area is critical because of a single paved highway that Ukrainian forces use to move troops, evaluate casualties, resupply units and rotate personnel. Russian drone and artillery strikes have turned that road into a kill zone. The terrain doesn't allow for many detours or alternative routes, which makes that corridor both essential and extremely dangerous. We've seen attempts to use anti-drone nets and to switch to what's known as mosquito logistics, basically splitting cargo and personnel into smaller, harder-to-detect units. But the fact that they're having to do that shows how dire the situation is becoming. When you can't move supplies at scale, your operational capability starts to break down.
Speaker 1:So is this more than just a tactical challenge? Is there any way out of that trap for Ukraine?
Speaker 2:Yes, it's a strategic chokehold. Any road that has to handle supply, evacuation, reinforcement and maneuver all at once becomes a liability under constant fire. And that's exactly what Russia's doing. They're not rushing into defenses, hit on, they're isolating the battlefield and starving the Ukrainian positions of what they need to fight, and NO only if they can open up alternative supply routes, push Russian forces back from their artillery positions and break the fire control Russia has established. Otherwise they're facing attrition on a schedule. The longer it goes, the worse it gets.
Speaker 1:Colonel, thank you for providing such a detailed briefing on the current military situation. Your insights are invaluable to our understanding of the conflict's dynamics. And thank you to our listeners for tuning in. Join us next time as we continue to provide up-to-date coverage on global military affairs. Stay with us for more updates and expert analyses on global defense and security issues. Stay informed, stay secure.
Speaker 2:Thank you. It's crucial to keep the public informed about the progress being made. To the families your sons and daughters are serving with distinction Morale is high and to all our listeners know that this operation is being conducted with precision, resolve and a focus on strategic outcomes. We remain committed to achieving our objectives and securing lasting peace.
