Russian forces have now reportedly made a new sudden breakthrough in eastern Ukraine, driving many miles past defensive lines near Dobropillya and underscoring what critics say is a growing crisis of leadership within Kyiv’s military command.
The advance, coming just days before Russian leader Vladimir Putin meets President Trump in Alaska, could give Moscow new leverage in high-stakes negotiations.
The penetration — deeper than most recent Russian gains in a war now stretching past three and a half years — comes in a conflict where entrenched defenses have generally blunted major offensives.
Moscow already holds roughly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, but this latest push could threaten key cities still under Kyiv’s control in the eastern Donetsk region, which the Kremlin insists is Russian territory.
Analysts note that any advance in this war is costly. Artillery barrages and explosive drones make movement perilous, and for much of the conflict, Moscow’s gains have come in slow, grinding increments. Around Dobropillya, however, Ukrainian officers say Russia massed enough manpower to exploit a weak spot after weeks of probing.
Holding the new ground will not be easy for Russian troops, who face exposed flanks and constant Ukrainian attacks. Yet Kyiv’s own missteps may be playing into Moscow’s hands.
An officer in the famous neo-nazi Azov Brigade said requests to withdraw from exhausted or encircled positions are often denied, with commanders insisting on costly frontal assaults that achieve little.
“Military leaders waste men on risky assaults, with little strategic value and less chance of success,” several Ukrainian soldiers told reporters. Decisions, they said, are so centralized that junior officers hesitate to act for fear of punishment — even if lives could be saved.
That rigid command culture, combined with a shortage of trained drone operators, has allowed more Russian infantry to survive assaults. The Azov officer described detecting around 150 Russian troops daily but eliminating only a fraction.
For some Ukrainian veterans, the advance is the direct result of warnings long ignored. “The situation unfolding in Donetsk is the result of actions or inaction that was warned about,” wrote Taras Chmut, a combat veteran and head of the Come Back Alive charity, which supplies drones and other equipment. “Ignoring problems doesn’t lead to their resolution.”
The Donetsk breach could bolster Putin’s position heading into the Alaska summit, where Moscow will seek U.S. recognition of its territorial claims. For Ukraine, the timing could hardly be worse: not only is Russia pressing its advantage on the ground, but public criticism of Kyiv’s battlefield leadership is growing ever louder.
[READ MORE: Israeli Military Assassinates Journalist Ahead of Gaza Invasion]
