Russian officials recently announced the “liberation” of Dobropillia, a town in the Donetsk region, claiming that units from the 51st Army have expanded their encirclement during military operations. However, this assertion has been strongly denied by the Ukrainian National Guard’s Azov unit.
According to reports, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov congratulated the troops on this alleged achievement. In contrast, the Azov unit stated, “Ukrainian defense forces continue to control Dobropillia, despite the false reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The plans of the Russian military and political leadership for this autumn include encircling Dobropillia, but this remains just in their plans and deceitful reports from Russian commanders.”
Furthermore, Ukrainian military personnel confirmed that Dobropillia is still under their control, with Russian assault groups being promptly identified and neutralized on their attempts to infiltrate the area.
Context
- In early September, Reuters reported, citing a Kremlin-associated source, that President Putin still aims to capture all of Donbas by the end of 2026 and that Moscow is reportedly not willing to negotiate front lines until this objective is achieved. However, Western military analysts consider such a scenario unlikely due to the slow pace of the Russian offensive.
- On September 7, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Pavel Palisa stated new deadlines set by Russia for the capture of Ukrainian Donbas, noting that the occupiers have failed to achieve any operational success in the Donetsk region for years.
