Donbas battles

Denys Prokopenko takes command of Azov grouping to reinforce defense of Donbas

Brig. Gen. Denys “Redis” Prokopenko has begun serving as commander of the Azov troop grouping, the corps’ press service said in a Facebook post on Sept. 13.

14 September, 12:15 AM

Ukraine seizes back initiative near Lyman, disrupts Russia’s Donbas plans

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have successfully regained the initiative on both the strategic and operational levels for the first time since the Kursk operation, eliminating a Russian salient north of Lyman and disrupting Moscow’s plans to encircle key cities in Donetsk Oblast, according to a Sept. 12 analysis by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.

13 September, 10:53 PM

Putin believes Russia can seize rest of Donetsk Oblast by year-end — Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin still expects his forces to seize more Ukrainian territory and believes Russia can capture the rest of Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2026, Reuters reported, citing a person close to the Kremlin.

6 September, 10:59 AM

Russia unable to mount rapid breakthrough even if Kostyantynivka falls — ISW

Russian forces will not be able to achieve a rapid breakthrough through Ukraine’s defense or seize the remainder of Donetsk Oblast even if they secure full control over Kostyantynivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Aug. 26.

27 August, 10:35 AM

Kremlin rejects third-party administration of Donbas

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Aug. 25 that no third party could administer Donbas, effectively signaling Moscow’s rejection of a reported proposal to establish a buffer zone in the region.

25 August, 06:20 PM

Russian forces push east of Slovyansk to prepare assaults on Donbas fortress cities

Russian forces have advanced east of Slovyansk in Donetsk Oblast in preparation for frontal assaults toward the city and the wider Donbas "fortress belt," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Aug. 23.

24 August, 11:18 AM

Ukraine fights to hold Kostyantynivka amid Russian push

Ukrainian defense forces could lose control of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast in the coming months, RBC-Ukraine reported on Aug. 3, citing statements from sources in military and political circles.

3 August, 01:56 PM

Up to 145 Russian troops remain in Kostiantynivka, Syrskyi says

Up to 145 Russian troops remain in the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported on July 20, citing intelligence data.

20 July, 01:41 PM

Putin holds firm on Donbas goal despite slowing Russian advance

Russian President Vladimir Putin is dismissing calls for peace negotiations with Ukraine and could escalate the war in the coming months, Reuters reported on July 9, citing three sources close to the Kremlin.

9 July, 04:35 PM

Why Russia stopped assaults on Pokrovsk even though it has enough forces

NV learned from an eyewitness what has changed in the actions of the Russian army near Pokrovsk recently and what the Ukrainian Defense Forces are doing in response.

6 July, 04:05 PM

100+ Russian troops breach Kostyantynivka as commanders warn of possible city fall

At least a hundred Russian soldiers have infiltrated Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, advancing into the city center, as Ukrainian forces warn of an increasingly complex and threatening defensive environment, hromadske reported on June 12.

12 June, 01:32 PM

Latvia's acting FM mocks Russian army's advances in Ukraine

Latvia's acting Foreign Minister Baiba Braže delivered a sharp ridicule of Russia's military performance in Ukraine at the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia on May 18, drawing a comparison that left little room for interpretation, according to the Foreign Ministry’s post on X.

18 May, 06:30 PM

Russian commanders convince Putin of fall victory in Donbas — FT

High-ranking Russian military commanders convinced dictator Vladimir Putin that their forces will capture the entire Donbas by the fall of 2026, prompting plans for expanded territorial demands, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing Kremlin insiders and Ukrainian intelligence.

13 May, 12:19 PM

Moscow orders troops to reach Kramatorsk outskirts by May 30

The Russian command has set its troops the task of reaching the outskirts of Kramatorsk by May 30, a spokeswoman for the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of Mariupol reported.

10 May, 10:45 AM

Two conflicting orders make rotation impossible – Air Assault Forces representative

Col. Volodymyr Polevyi, chief of communications for the 7th Rapid Reaction Assault Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, spoke with Radio NV on April 30 about the situation on the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad axis and the contradictory orders coming from the top.

1 May, 04:55 PM

Russia increases mechanized assaults on frontline but achieves no major gains

Russian troops have stepped up mechanized and motorized assaults along the frontline in recent days, but these attacks have brought no significant success and are unlikely to enhance Russia’s spring-summer offensive, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest update on April 19.

20 April, 12:00 PM

Russian activity remains especially high near Pokrovsk, Syrskyi says

Russian military activity remains especially high in the Pokrovsk sector, where Ukrainian forces repelled about 260 Russian attacks over the past week, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 9 during a visit to the area of responsibility of the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces.

9 April, 06:52 PM

Russian forces trying to capture Kostiantynivka for nearly a year, General Syrskyi says

Russian forces have been trying to capture Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast for nearly a year, combining small-group infantry assaults with massive drone strikes, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 7, after visiting the 19th Army Corps defending the Kostiantynivka-Druzhkivka agglomeration.

7 April, 02:10 PM

Ukrainian command probes Skelya Regiment over heavy losses near Pokrovsk

The Ukrainian military command is reviewing the actions of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya,” which has been accused of organizing assaults that caused significant losses for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces announced on April 2.

2 April, 03:10 PM

Captured Ukrainian soldier persuades two Russians to surrender

A Ukrainian defender, mortarman Volodymyr Aleksandrov with the callsign Pozytyv, was captured by Russian forces at the end of January 2026, but the man convinced the Russians to surrender to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the soldier told public broadcaster Suspilne Khmelnytskyi on March 11.

11 March, 01:55 PM

Donbas battles

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