Russian army takes advantage of gaps in Donetsk region defenses — military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“These are some of the toughest times we’ve faced, even worse than the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion,” Zgurets said. “We’re talking about places like Kupyansk, Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove. The Russian army is actively attacking all these areas, and now Velyka Novosilka has been added to the list. It’s a key defense stronghold and logistics hub for Ukrainian forces.”

Zgurets mentioned that the situation near Velyka Novosilka is especially difficult, as Russian forces are attacking from both the west and the east, with an advance from Rozdolne on the east.

“It seems our defenses, built to stop an attack from the south, had gaps on the eastern side, and the Russian army took advantage of this. Right now, there are several points of attack from the east, particularly between the Kashlahach and Shaitanka rivers, with an advance from the southeast toward Velyka Novosilka,” Zgurets said.

The military expert added that while Ukrainian soldiers are effectively holding off frontal attacks, advancing along the flank is very risky. The Russian army is trying to capture two villages - Novyi Komar and Novosilka.

“If the enemy (Russian troops - ed.) gets through, it will cause serious problems for our (Ukraine's - ed.) logistics, since these two roads lead to Velyka Novosilka. This area is now a top priority for our defense, along with protecting Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, and other towns,” Zgurets explained.

• Andriy Kramchenkov, the editor-in-chief of Suspilne Donbas, noted that approximately two-thirds of all assaults currently occurring on the Russian-Ukrainian front are concentrated in the Donetsk region.