Russian troops break through Ukraine's defense in Donetsk

Russian troops break through Ukraine's defense in Donetsk

In Ukraine, small groups of Russian troops broke parts of the lines of defense in the eastern Oblast Donetsk, according to local civil servants and surveillance groups. These developments make the situation more difficult for Kiev, while Russia tries to circle the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.

Russian troops are pushing on Dobropillia

According to the Ukrainian surveillance service Deepstate, Russian forces continue their advance towards Dobropillia, which is around 20 kilometers north of Pokrovsk, which has been the focus of the Kremlin for months. Ukrainian admitted officials that their lines of defense near Dobropillia were infiltrated by Cluster's Russian troops. However, they emphasized that these are small number of troops and this does not mean that Russia has taken control of the area.

A crucial meeting in Alaska

Although Russia has been trying to conquer Pokrovsk for over a year, the new move this week could be a last desperate attempt to win as much terrain as possible before the planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his colleague Donald Trump in Alaska. At this meeting, Putin may strive to maintain what Russia could not achieve by force at the negotiating table, and will endeavor to give the impression that Russia's push in Donetsk is inevitable.

This warns of dwindling defenses

Ukrainian officials warned that their control over the front lines after months of gradual Russian profits, which have been promoted by Moscow, increasingly waned. Colonel. Bohdan Krotevych, a former chief of staff of the 12th special forces of the elite unit Azov, warned in a rare public call President Wolodymyr Selenskyj of the critical situation of the Ukrainian defense.

Changes on the battlefield

A commander near Pokrovsk, who wants to remain anonymous, informed CNN that the defenses in the region consist mainly of two -piece positions that are only supplied with drones. Instead of two front line trenches that oppose each other, the battlefield now consists of a number of mostly hidden, isolated and small items in which infantrymen try to keep soil without being discovered by enemy drones.

The tactics of the "a thousand cuts"

Russia's advantage is playing this new type of discussion in terms of larger staff. It enables the Russians to bring their powers forward in small groups and accept, to lose troops when they encounter resistance or to strengthen any success. "The enemy tries to use the tactics of the 'a thousand cuts'," said Valentin Manko, commander of the Ukrainian storm troops.

Exams and challenges for Ukraine

Manko reported that Ukrainian officers in the region worked on the comprehensive search of the entire area, which could take a few days. The regional command of the Ukrainian soil forces in Donetsk indicated that many of the groups that penetrate the defense lines of Ukraine will soon be tracked down.

Conclusion on the location in Donetsk

Although some infiltrating Russian groups are quickly defeated by Ukrainian forces, Kiev fears that Russia could use so many of these small groups that it will ultimately be able to consolidate its profits behind the disordered lines of defense in Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War, a Think tank based in Washington, estimated that it was "too early" to declare Russian progress near Dobropillia as a "operational breakthrough". However, there is a risk that this tactic will lead to a dramatic change on the battlefield, similar to Russia's breaking through the lines of defense at Avdiivka, which they conquered in April 2024.

In the coming days, the situation in the Pokrovsk region could be decisive for the ability of Ukraine to prevent further Russian profits in the north and northwest of Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian military blogger Bohdan Miroshnikov expressed pessimistic and found that the situation in the region "gradually reaches the point where Pokrovsk can no longer be saved".