Breaking the Fortress: Russias Tactical Advances in the Donetsk Standoff

Russian forces are making steady, albeit closely monitored, advancements in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as the Trump administration faces challenges in negotiating a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.

The most significant offensive occurred earlier this month near Dobropillya, situated in northern Donetsk, where Russian troops advanced in a formation resembling bunny ears.

This maneuver was highlighted as Russia’s most rapid progress in months; however, military analysts argue that these gains have not resulted in stable control of the area. Ukrainian defenses have effectively staved off further incursions, and Russia has struggled to hold its newly acquired positions.

“The goal is not to engage the Ukrainians directly, but to push forward as much as possible… in hopes that a breakthrough occurs,” military expert Alexei Alshansky told The Moscow Times. “This tactic often leads to heavy casualties.”

An independent assessment by the exiled news organization Mediazona and the BBC’s Russian service indicates that confirmed Russian military fatalities exceed 120,000, though the actual number is likely much higher.

Russia currently controls approximately 70% of Donetsk, including the regional capital taken by pro-Kremlin separatists in 2014. The territories that remain under Ukrainian control hold significant strategic importance, which many speculate is why President Vladimir Putin is urging Kyiv to surrender them as part of potential peace negotiations.

Ukraine has strengthened its defenses along a corridor of cities extending roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Slovyansk and Kramatorsk in the north to Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka in the south, forming a fortified barrier against any further Russian advances.

The loss of these areas would be a significant setback, Alshansky remarked, highlighting the substantial resources Ukraine has invested in their fortifications.

“If Russia successfully takes control of undamaged, well-prepared defensive positions without a fight, it will undoubtedly use them as a launching point for future military operations,” he stated.

Pokrovsk, a city located to the west of the current front lines and a logistics center for Ukrainian forces, is also under duress. Russian military commentators and analysts from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted an increase in Russian assaults there, indicating that Moscow is testing for vulnerabilities.

Nonetheless, experts advise caution against exaggerating any recent battlefield momentum.

Military analyst Yury Fedorov contended that Russia is primarily focused on the area around Lyman, northeast of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, where its forces are assessing Ukraine’s fortified positions. He noted, however, that the front lines have remained mostly unchanged.

In other regions, Russia has been continuing smaller-scale attacks in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Ukraine issued a warning this month regarding the redeployment of Russian troops in these areas, anticipating another offensive.

However, in both locations, challenging terrain and rivers have made it difficult to mount significant sustained offensives, particularly in an era dominated by drones that can target bridges and crossing points, Alshansky conveyed to The Moscow Times.

These gradual advancements highlight the challenges of Moscow’s reliance on what analysts refer to as “small infantry group tactics.” Rather than large-scale assaults, two or three soldiers may attempt to breach Ukrainian defenses via different paths, as believed to have occurred in the latest push near Dobropillya. If any manage to infiltrate, reinforcements follow.

While this strategy has enabled Russia to advance slowly in some areas, the ISW points out that it leaves Russian troops vulnerable to counterattacks.

For the time being, Ukraine aims to delay Russian progress whenever possible, Fedorov posited, prolonging the conflict as both sides await whether time or external political pressures will alter the situation. “Both sides are essentially locked in a race against the clock,” he remarked.