Russian troops break through Ukraine's defenses in Donetsk

Russian troops break through Ukraine's defenses in Donetsk

In Ukraine, small groups of Russian troops have broken through parts of defense lines in the eastern Donetsk Oblast, local officials and monitoring groups said. These developments complicate the situation for Kiev as Russia attempts to encircle the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.

Russian troops are pushing towards Dobropillia

According to the Ukrainian monitoring service DeepState, Russian forces are continuing their advance towards Dobropillia, about 20 kilometers north of Pokrovsk, which has been the Kremlin's focus for months. Ukrainian officials acknowledged that their defense lines near Dobropillia had been infiltrated by clusters of Russian troops. However, they stressed that these are small troop numbers and this does not mean that Russia has taken control of the area.

A crucial meeting in Alaska

Although Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for more than a year, this week's renewed push could represent a last-ditch attempt to gain as much ground as possible before a planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday. At this meeting, Putin may seek to get at the negotiating table what Russia could not achieve by force and will seek to create the impression that Russia's move into Donetsk is inevitable.

It warns of dwindling defenses

Ukrainian officials have warned that their control over the front lines is increasingly slipping after months of gradual Russian gains fueled by Moscow's superior manpower. Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, a former chief of staff of the 12th Special Forces of the elite Azov unit, warned President Volodymyr Zelensky about the critical situation of Ukraine's defense in a rare public appeal.

Changes on the battlefield

A commander near Pokrovsk, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNN that defenses in the area consist largely of two-person positions supplied solely by drones. Instead of two frontline trenches facing each other, the battlefield now consists of a series of mostly hidden, isolated and small posts where infantrymen attempt to stealthily hold ground without being detected by enemy drones.

The “thousand cuts” tactic

This new type of confrontation plays into Russia's advantage in terms of larger manpower. It allows the Russians to advance their forces in small groups, accepting the risk of losing troops if they encounter resistance or compounding each success. “The enemy is trying to use the ‘thousand cuts’ tactic,” said Valentin Manko, commander of the Ukrainian stormtroopers.

Trials and challenges for Ukraine

Manko reported that Ukrainian officers in the region were working on a comprehensive search of the entire area, which could take several days. The regional command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in Donetsk said that many of the groups penetrating Ukraine's defense lines will soon be tracked down.

Conclusion on the situation in Donetsk

Although some infiltrating Russian groups are quickly defeated by Ukrainian forces, Kiev fears that Russia may deploy so many of these small groups that it will ultimately be able to consolidate its gains behind Ukraine's disorganized defense lines. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, estimated that it was “too early” to declare Russian advances near Dobropillia an “operational breakthrough.” However, there is a risk that this tactic will lead to a dramatic change on the battlefield, similar to Russia's breach of the defense lines at Avdiivka, which they captured in April 2024.

In the coming days, the situation in the Pokrovsk region could be crucial to Ukraine's ability to prevent further Russian gains in the north and northwest of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian military blogger Bohdan Miroshnikov expressed pessimism, noting that the situation in the region is “gradually reaching the point where Pokrovsk can no longer be saved.”