Last week, Russian troops have achieved significant success in the eastern part of Donetsk region, capturing several villages and approaching the city of Pokrovsk, which is an important defense point of Ukraine in the region. These achievements testify to improving the ability of the Russian army to use weaknesses in Ukrainian defense lines that have suffered losses due to constant attacks and lack of resources.
Military analysts note that Russian troops are increasingly focused on identifying weakened and poorly organized Ukrainian units before making mass attacks with a large number of soldiers and armored vehicles. Mykola Beleskov, a military analyst at the National Institute for Strategic Studies of Ukraine, noted that Russians are looking for positions that can be poorly protected or ready for retreat, and, finding such, attack them, despite their own losses.
One example of this is the loss of the village of Progress in the Pokrovsky direction, where the chaotic retreat and unsuccessful rotation of the military led to the rapid advance of the Russian forces. Franz-Stefan Gady, a military analyst from Vienna, noted that rotation is the most risky moment for the army because it temporarily leaves positions undercompleted. The constant presence of reconnaissance drones that spread over the battlefield significantly complicates the conduct of such rotations, especially for the Ukrainian forces, which are so faced with the lack of personnel.
Although the achievements of Russian troops did not lead to large breakthroughs, they pose a threat to the last line of defense of Ukraine in Donetsk region. Despite the gradual promotion, the Ukrainian military continues to resist, protecting key positions.
Russian troops continue the offensive on different sections of the front, including near Vodyany, Umansky, Novoselivka of the First, Zhelan, Vesely and Krasnogorivka. The Washington Post notes that Russia has improved its tactics, which allowed it to gradually move on the front. Re -invasion of the Russian forces into Kharkiv region, although it produced limited results, has distracted significant Ukrainian reserves.
