Russian units surrounded in Donetsk; Ukrainians launch lightning counterattack_ crab claws for enemy

Russian units near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast have been cut off and are being encircled, Ukrainian military spokesman Viktor Tregubov said on national TV.

“At least for now, the Russian units that advanced directly toward Dobropillia—those ‘crab claws’—have been cut off and surrounded. They won’t last long there,” Tregubov said.

A recent report by the Institute for the Study of War noted that Russia likely abandoned attempts to exploit its earlier gains near Dobropillia after failing to consolidate positions or use small-group infiltration tactics to penetrate deeper into Ukrainian defenses.

Recall, in recent days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have carried out a successful counterattack near Kupyansk, removing the threat of encirclement of this key defense hub. Military expert Yan Matveyev wrote about this in his blog . In just one week, Kupyansk experienced a situation where it was under threat of encirclement, and almost immediately managed to get out of it. For a month, Russian troops held positions near Radkovka and tried to advance in the area of the village of Mirnoye. On August 23–24, Russian infantry broke through to the south and reached Sobolevka, advancing about three kilometers in depth. This created a threat to the R-07 highway, which supplies Kupyansk from Kharkov.

Against the backdrop of these events, there were reports of the catastrophic situation of the Ukrainian garrison and even of the possible surrender of the city. The panic was intensified by rumors of fighting in the northern quarters. Russian units did indeed penetrate the city, but these were small groups. They managed only to temporarily infiltrate individual streets; they were unable to gain a foothold. Ukrainian forces thwarted their plans. Despite this, the possibility of Kupyansk falling was already being actively discussed in the information field. However, by the end of the week, Ukrainian troops had seized the initiative. The Ukrainian Armed Forces counterattacked, liberated Myrnoye, pushed Russian forces out of Sobolevka and restored control over the northern part of the city.

The expert emphasizes that the situation in this area remains fluid. " I think Russian attacks there will continue. But, as before, we see a clear and competent reaction to the threat from the Ukrainians. They are saving their strength in order to use it at a critical moment and improve their position ," Matveyev said. According to him, the defense of Kupyansk has now become more stable, although the threat still exists. The attempt to encircle the city ended in failure for the Russian army, and Ukrainian forces once again demonstrated their ability to respond effectively and quickly to critical threats.