A few days before the meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in Alaska, the situation of the Ukrainian troops has become seriously complicated in several sections of the front, sources from both sides reported, quoted by the BBC.
Russian units have made a sudden penetration north of Pokrovsk, wedged into Ukrainian positions to a depth of up to 10-12 km. Progress is also being made in other areas, and the Dobropolie-Kramatorsk route is now under the fire control of Russian troops, which could disrupt the logistics of Ukrainian units.
The maps of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Ukrainian analytical portal DeepState show the formation of a narrow wedge 3-5 km wide along the Nikanorivka-Novoye Shakhovo-Zolotoy Kolodets line. According to Bild analyst Julian Röpke, the next few hours will be decisive for the fate of territories in the Donetsk region that are still under Ukrainian control.
The Ukrainian side initially described the reports of the breakthrough as unreliable. The operational-strategic group "Dnepr" stated that a small Russian group had tried to penetrate the rear of Ukrainian positions, but Ukrainian forces were resisting. However, the General Staff subsequently reported heavy defensive fighting and the transfer of reinforcements, including the 1st Corps of the National Guard "Azov".
Former Chief of Staff of the "Azov" Brigade Bogdan Krotevich assessed the situation as critical. "The lines of combat confrontation practically do not exist. Pokrovsk and Mirnograd are almost surrounded, Konstantinovka - in a semi-encirclement. "The enemy is moving towards Kramatorsk and Druzhkovka," he wrote on social media.
According to Ukrainian officer Tatarigami_UA, the situation is far from collapse, recalling that Russia had carried out similar large-scale offensives in 2014 and 2015 before negotiations in order to gain a strategic advantage.
Russian military bloggers have commented that it is difficult to assess the real scale of the breakthrough and the forces involved. Some of the attacks are carried out by small assault groups that bypass defense lines and move mobilely, sometimes on motorcycles or buggies.
The American Institute for the Study of War notes that the penetration in the Dobropoli region was deeper and faster than previous offensives, but does not guarantee the development of an operational breakthrough in the near future.
Military expert Michael Kofman from the "Carnegie Endowment" commented that despite Russia's tactical successes, Ukrainian defense remains stable thanks to fortifications, minefields, and unit mobility, but the situation is dynamic and requires close monitoring.