Donetsk: "Chaotic" situation. Russia breaks through Ukrainian defenses

With the advance through northern Pokrovsk, Russia has approached another town in the Donetsk region that had not previously been threatened: Dobropilia , one of the last Ukrainian strongholds in the Donbass. According to DeepState , Russian assault groups have entered the villages of Kucheriv Yar, Zolotyi Kolodiaz, and Vesele, while also constructing fortifications in these areas.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the coming days could be decisive in determining whether Russia can turn tactical gains near Dobropillia into strategic ones. “The coming days in the Pokrovsk area of operations are likely to be critical for Ukraine’s ability to prevent rapid Russian gains north and northwest of Pokrovsk,” ISW wrote.

The DeepState group fears that Dobropillia (a town with a pre-war population of about 30,000) could be captured before Pokrovsk, with Russian forces already less than ten kilometers from the city. Russian forces have also partially cut the T-0515 highway , which connects Pokrovsk to Dobropillia, a key supply route for Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainian president has meanwhile downplayed Russian advances in the region, noting that Moscow's forces are taking positions with units moving on foot and in light vehicles, without the support of heavier armored vehicles. "Some have already been located—some dead, some taken prisoner," Zelensky said this Tuesday. The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has already ordered the deployment of more Ukrainian soldiers to the region to contain Russian advances and "destroy enemy sabotage groups penetrating beyond the defense line."