Russian servicemen have penetrated separate places in Dobropole, Donetsk region, and according to Ukrainian military officials, the situation has worsened over the past month. This is reported by hromadske, citing two of its sources familiar with the situation on the front, News.bg reports.
One of the servicemen claims that up to 50 Russian soldiers managed to penetrate mainly into the northern and eastern parts of the city, with individual groups reaching further back areas and Svyatogorovka. According to him, the Russians have not yet launched an assault, and Ukrainian units, including the forces of “Skala“, are conducting operations to detect and defeat the infiltrated groups.
Another Ukrainian military officer describes the movement of small Russian groups in pairs. According to him, the purpose of such infiltrations is to create tension and chaos in the Ukrainian rear. The presence of Russian soldiers behind the defense lines also complicates the work of drone operators, who are among the main means of defeating Russian forces.
At the same time, the official position of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov“, which is responsible for the defense of Dobropole, is more restrained. The corps states that the infiltrations are of a single nature and do not represent a systemic problem. According to “Azov“ Most Russian groups are discovered and destroyed on the approaches to the city, and servicemen who have penetrated deeper are searched for in counter-sabotage operations.
The corps emphasizes that at the moment the penetrations do not pose an immediate threat to the city's defense. At the same time, “Azov“ admits that if such attempts are not detected and prevented in a timely manner, they can complicate defensive actions.
The Ukrainian side indicates that the countermeasure includes a fortified defensive line, a multi-echelon fire suppression system, control of the approaches to Dobropole, and counter-sabotage operations. “Skala“ has been under the operational command of the “Azov“ corps since August.