'It didn't happen overnight': Ukraine's Rubizh Brigade on Russian advance toward Dobropillia

Andrii Otchenash, an officer with the National Guard's Rubizh Brigade, stated this on Espreso TV.

"In my personal opinion, journalists turned this into total panic. 'In one day, a massive breakthrough,' and so on. In reality, there was no breakthrough. The fact that the enemy did indeed advance into this area is true. No one will deny that. The fact that they didn't do it in a single day is also true. The problem is that everyone started judging the situation based on DeepState maps, which showed in just one day a massive 'enemy breakthrough.' People started saying that in one day the enemy advanced 10 km. Unfortunately, this did not happen in just one day," he said.

According to Otchenash, there was a prolonged build-up.

"The enemy really seeped through our defense forces. They truly moved forward. No one will say that this did not happen. The enemy has indeed been present, or still is, in the settlements of Zolotyi Kolodiaz and Kucheriv Yar, and fighting has definitely taken place there. The enemy is trying to advance further, but we must understand one thing: the sheer number of enemy forces along this defensive line essentially allows them to find our weak points and keep pushing forward," the officer stressed.

The National Guardsman stated that we do not have enough personnel to fully hold the defense.

"That's a fact, and I think no one will argue. Second, another very important fact is that the enemy is not securing itself in the settlements—their main objective is to bypass them. They are trying to go around settlements as much as possible, find routes through, and move further. If the enemy manages to entrench in these areas and expand the bridgehead, then there will be a real problem, which could lead to disastrous results, including partial or full encirclement. But to scream that it all happened in one day—that's simply not true," he said.

Otchenash added that the enemy is trying to seep through and send groups further north and farther afield.

"The main task, of course, is to hold them back and do everything possible to prevent them from moving forward. At least on our defensive line, the Rubizh Brigade is doing everything possible to stop the enemy from advancing as much as they would like. And the First Corps has already reported that in one day more than 150 Russians were killed and over 70 wounded," the guardsman said.

He noted that these figures are for an incredibly short period of time.

"Imagine how many Russians are actually advancing. The killed are unfortunately not all who are pushing forward. Imagine the huge flow and large number of personnel moving toward the defense forces' lines, including the Rubizh Brigade. We are holding them back, destroying them in large numbers, not letting them move further. So, for now, it's too early to panic. We need to focus on what is really happening, and support the defense forces of Ukraine, including our Rubizh Brigade," Otchenash emphasized.

The officer added that only if the enemy actually manages to expand this bridgehead will it be time to sound the alarm.

"In fact, they simply created, let's say, a media picture of something that, at that moment, it would have been better to wait and see how it develops. I hope we can cut off this advance and stabilize the situation. And, of course, we will do everything to make sure it happens that way," the guardsman concluded.

• On August 9, DeepState reported that Russian troops in Donetsk region were storming Dobropillia using the forces of the 132nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, most of whose personnel are residents of temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk region and migrants from Central Asia.
• On August 12, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered additional forces and equipment to be deployed to neutralize sabotage groups in the Pokrovsk sector.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that military briefings were presented on the frontline situation, particularly in the Dobropillia zone and Pokrovsk sector.
• Deputy commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade Maksym Zhorin said that, amid the escalation in the Dobropillia area, the situation in the Pokrovsk sector was far from under control.
• On August 13, it was reported that Russians were attempting to encircle Pokrovsk from the north and southwest. Ukraine deployed reserves to restrain the enemy toward Dobropillia.
• On August 14, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration stated that the situation in the Dobropillia sector had been stabilized.