Russian forces have advanced in the area between Shakhovo and Dobropillia, according to Russian war correspondent Yury Kotenok. He says Russian units managed to break through Ukrainian defenses or bypass them in some sectors, while in other places they "slipped" deeper into the positions.
Kotenok wrote that Russian troops reached the Dobropillia-Kramatorsk highway at a distance of about 5.5 kilometers northeast of Dobropillia and moved a further 4 kilometers along the road. He also reported further movement toward Petrovka and Novovodyane, describing it as a possible attempt to outflank the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the west.
According to Kotenok, Russian troops are also fighting in the central part of the settlement of Krasnyi Lyman, on the northern and northeastern outskirts of Rodynske, attacking toward Hryshyne, while Nove Shakhovo to the north has come under the control of Russian units.
The Ukrainian analytical project DeepState describes the situation in the Dobropillia sector as the result of constant pressure by a numerically superior Russian infantry force. According to the project, Russian troops advanced into Kucheriv Yar and Zolotyi Kolodets, where they are building up forces for further offensive action.
DeepState also says that from Kucheriv Yar, Russian groups moved through tree lines into the village of Vesele. The project states that over the past day alone, about two dozen Russian soldiers were recorded there. At the same time, it says, the advance toward the Dobropillia-Kramatorsk highway is continuing, with positions being established near Novovodyane and Petrovka.
In DeepState’s assessment, the situation in this sector is highly chaotic: after finding gaps in the defense, Russian forces are trying to move quickly into the rear, entrench themselves, and build up reserves for further advances. The project adds that, in the view of soldiers holding the line there, some commanders in a “certain brigade” either do not grasp the scale of the problem or portray the situation as under control.