Ukrainian forces deny front-line breach as Russian attacks intensify on the eastern front
The Dnipro operational and strategic military group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has denied claims of a frontline breakthrough in eastern Ukraine. The military emphasized that while infiltration by small groups necessitates the deployment of reserves for their elimination, it does not constitute “territorial control.” Misinterpretations of these incursions, they underscored, can lead to errors in analyses and public discourse around the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban area, as noted in a Monday evening Telegram post, August 11.
Admitting the situation's complexity, the Ukrainian military described ongoing battles in these directions as the most intense compared to other areas, urging the public to avoid spreading unverified information from insufficiently informed sources.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff reported in its August 11 update that over the past day, Russian forces attempted 35 times to push back Ukrainian lines on the Dobropillya and Pokrovsk fronts. Despite Russian numerical superiority and heavy personnel losses, they continue probing with smaller group infiltrations across the first line of defense. The Commander-in-Chief has allocated additional troops and means to detect and neutralize enemy diversion groups penetrating the defensive line.
Accordingly, analysts from the Ukrainian project DeepState have observed that Russian troops lately intensified movements towards Dobropillya and along the Dobropillya-Kramatorsk route. Currently, under persistent infantry pressure, Russian forces have advanced into Kuchers’ Yar and Zolotyy Kolodyaz, working to consolidate in these areas for future operations, detailed the analytic briefing on August 11. The analysts also confirmed the presence of Russian forces in Vesele, where troop accumulation is underway.
DeepState described the environment as "rather chaotic," with the Russian army exploiting breaches to penetrate deeper and attempting swift fortification while gathering strength for further endeavors. Should Russian troops secure these captured villages and push inward, the fall of Dobropillya could potentially occur more quickly than that of Pokrovsk.
Pro-Kremlin war correspondent Yuriy Podoliaka claimed a Russian “breakthrough” north of Pokrovsk towards Hryshyne, executed by the 51st Army of the ‘Center’ group, alongside an expedited engagement of the Ukrainian 79th Brigade to “salvage the situation.” Ukrainian war correspondents had previously reported Russian advancements beyond ten kilometers northeast of Pokrovsk, which finds itself vulnerable to encirclement. Reports suggest Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad conurbation encircled from three sides, leaving an approximately 15-kilometer-wide supply corridor.
Simultaneously, early Tuesday, August 12, Russian missiles targeted a training unit belonging to the Ukrainian Army. Reports indicate one fatality and 11 injuries of various severities, with an additional 12 soldiers seeking medical attention for acute trauma, detailed the military update on Facebook.
The missile strike location was undisclosed. Several regions, including Kyiv, issued air raid alerts overnight related to the missile strikes in northeastern Ukraine.
Following regional authority directives, Donetsk Province expanded mandatory evacuations for families with children. Newly added to the evacuation list are the town of Dobropillya and Rubizhne as announced on July 24 by Vadym Filipashkin, head of Donetsk regional administration. This decision affects districts housing approximately a thousand children, finalized at a regional commission meeting on technogenic-environmental safety and emergency issues in Donetsk Oblast.
Highlighting challenges in a recent statement, Ukrainian Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi reported July as a notably tense month due to extensive Russian advances along frontline engagement. Employing a “thousand cuts” strategy complicated positions with small-scale assault operations. The most severe conditions information relay involved Pokrovsk, Dobropillya, and Novopavlivka directions. Conversely, positive changes emerged in Sumy Oblast endeavors on the northern Siverskyi-Donets front amid this month’s war efforts. Russian casualties exceeded 33,200 by July's end—800 more than June's figures, Syrskyi disclosed.