Russian forces entering Dobropillia: analyst describes situation around the city

Russian troops are already infiltrating Dobropillia — a city in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region.

This was reported by Ukrainian military analyst Kostiantyn Mashovets on his Facebook page.

According to his data, individual Russian infantrymen were spotted near Annivka — a slag heap on the northeastern outskirts of the city — as well as in the southern districts. Several days ago, a Russian serviceman was discovered in the southern part of Dobropillia; he had partially changed into civilian clothing and was transmitting information about the situation in the city over a radio.

Overall, Russian forces have reached the immediate approaches to Dobropillia from the south and east. The main pressure is being applied through Nove Shakhove, Annivka, Dorozhne, and Novyi Donbas. Mashovets notes that groups of 30–40 Russian servicemen, broken into small units, are periodically recorded in these areas.

South of the city, fighting is taking place near Bilytske, Svitle, Chernihivka, and Krasnopodillia. Russian groups are present in Svitle, between Chernihivka and Krasnopodillia, and in the eastern part of Vodianske.

West of Dobropillia, Russian units are advancing from Novooleksandrivka toward Vasylivka and Mirne, and also from Shevchenko toward Matiasheve and Dobropillia. Individual groups have reached Novohryshyne and the area west of the city.

North and northwest of Kotlyno, Russian units have advanced approximately 1.5 km toward Serhiivka. In the northeast, Russia holds the southern and southeastern part of Sofiivka, and fighting continues for Toretske.

Mashovets believes that if taking Dobropillia by storm proves impossible, the Russian command will attempt to envelop the city more deeply from the west and northeast and reach the roads to Bilozerske in order to complicate supply lines for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the same time, Russia continues to press in the direction of Druzhkivka, forming the southern flank of a broader operation against the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.

In mid-September it was reported that Russian troops had already been attempting to enter Dobropillia one or two at a time. At the end of September, a serviceman with the call sign Muchnyi claimed that Russian infiltration groups were expanding their zone of penetration north of Dobropillia.