The summer offensive of the Russian army produced its first significant results. Despite the slow pace of advance in early June, by the end of the month the Russian Armed Forces achieved important tactical objectives in the main direction. They managed to advance on the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk grouping from three sides simultaneously: seize most of the city of Konstantinovka south of Kramatorsk, break through the Ukrainian Armed Forces defense line south of the Siversky Donets River towards Slavyansk and begin the attack on the city of Liman north of the river. However, the ongoing nature of the fighting does not promise the Russian Armed Forces a quick breakthrough to the outskirts of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. To do this, they will need to carry out many similar operations, and each of them will have to prepare for several months. However, the leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces may have to reconsider its approach to the defense of the northern part of Donbas: so far, Ukrainian forces have only managed to slow down the Russian offensive, but have not been able to stop it.
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Konstantinovka
- Fighting began on the outskirts of the large city of Konstantinovka (larger than Pokrovsk, which was previously captured by Russian armed forces) at the end of October 2025, just after Russian forces had managed to clear the northern outskirts of the Turetsk agglomeration after months of fighting (fighting there had continued for a year).
- To storm Konstantinovka, two strike groups of forces of the Southern Military District were created: one based on the 8th Combined Arms Army, the other on the 3rd Army Corps. The first attacked from the south, from Turetsk, and the second advanced from the east, from the outskirts of Chasov Yar.
- The Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to create a powerful defense on the southern and southeastern outskirts of Konstantinovka, which Russian forces could not overcome for a long time. The tactics of small assault groups infiltrating urban areas, which the Russian Armed Forces successfully used during the assault on Pokrovsk, did not bring success: isolated Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the south of the city continued to fight and even counterattacked.
- In recent months, the Russian armed forces have focused on destroying logistics, using drones and aerial bombs to hit main roads north of Konstantinovka, as well as reservoir dams on the Krivoy-Torets River that flows through the city. Soon, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the south had to be equipped exclusively with drones (first, aviation and ground, and then exclusively drones).
- At the same time, two Russian battle groups began covering the city along the western and eastern outskirts – via the satellite villages of Ilenovka and Novodmitrovka. Another group moved towards the center along the course of the Krivoy-Torets River.
- By mid-June, the three groups had reached the northern outskirts of the city, cutting off the roads to Kramatorsk. In recent days, according to the video, Ukrainian drone opposition to the advance of Russian attack aircraft through the city has weakened: the Ukrainian armed forces may have had to move the positions of drone operators from the city to more distant locations. Perhaps this indicates that the fate of the city is sealed.
- Meanwhile, Ukrainian positions are still present in the southern and central blocs, and are under constant bombardment by the Russian Armed Forces. The example of the attack on the Pokrovsk and Mirnograd clusters shows that they could remain there in almost complete encirclement for several more weeks. Individual pockets of resistance were noted even on the southernmost outskirts of Konstantinovka.
- It is likely that the Ukrainian armed forces will try to create a new line of defense on the northern outskirts of Konstantinovka (as was the case with Pokrovsk) in order not to allow the enemy to penetrate deep into the Kramatorsk agglomeration. The line will be built while the Russian Armed Forces continue to clear the city of Ukrainian units remaining there.
- The fall of Konstantinovka could create problems in neighboring regions: for example, Russian forces could attack from the east and west in the direction of Druzhkovka – that is, go to the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To the west of Druzhkovka, Russian armed forces stopped several months ago in the valley of the Kazny Turets River in the area of Sovievka and Turetskoye. After capturing Konstantinovka they may try to resume the offensive. To the west of Druzhkovka, Russian forces established several bridgeheads on the Seversky Donets-Donbass Canal – with the express aim of starting movement from them in the direction of the same Druzhkovka or even Kramatorsk.
Fighting on Seversky Donets
- The Russian army continues its attempt to advance towards Slavyansk along the banks of the Seversky Donets River.
- On the northern shore, the main target of the Russian Armed Forces is the city of Liman, a local crossroads. They reached its outskirts in the fall of 2025, but since then they have fought fierce battles around and inside the city with units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which tried to repel Russian forces with the help of counterattacks.
- At the same time, another Russian group, advancing along the ridge from Siversk along the southern bank of the river, attempted to break into the water intake site of the Siversky Donets-Donbass canal.
- Both attacks are closely related to a common mission: from the north, the Russian armed forces plan to stand along the riverbank opposite Slavyansk, and the southern group should attack along the river to seize the crossings, as well as clear the entire area between the river and the canal. Together, they could finally cover the Slavyansk region from both sides and create conditions for an attack on this city, as well as on Kramatorsk on the other side of the canal.
- Counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces east and west of Liman delayed the attack on the city for several months. But the Russian Armed Forces were still able to mass forces on the outskirts and in the surrounding forest. In June they attempted a general assault. Once again, as was the case in Pokrovsk and is happening now in Konstantinovka, infiltration through urban development combined with attacks on logistics (which was facilitated by the fact that the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Group is located on the opposite bank of a deep river) led to a crisis in the Ukrainian defence. On June 20, Russian attack aircraft were already spotted in all areas of Liman.
- The fall of the city could lead to supply problems for the entire Ukrainian group located on the north bank of the Seversky Donets River. At the same time, the threat of Russian armed forces breaching the river crossings along the southern bank has recently increased. Thus Russian forces advanced from the previously captured village of Krivaya Luka to Piskunovka. To the south, Russian armed forces captured most of the logistically important village of Rai Aleksandrovka.
- The immediate target of the Russian attack on the south bank is clearly the village of Nikolaevka on the banks of the Seversky Donets River, next to which there is a water entrance to the canal. Entering this area (combined with the fall of Liman) may force the Ukrainian armed forces to leave the northern shore throughout the area east of Liman.
Pokrovsk and Dobropol
- An important part of the Russian offensive plan in Donbass was the operation to capture the town of Dobropolya, north of Pokrovsk. Obviously, the Russian armed forces were then supposed to move north in order to isolate the Kramatorsk agglomeration from the western regions of Ukraine.
- However, the operation was halted: the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sent part of the forces defending Dobropolje to the Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions, however strengthening the direction with the help of forces transferred from near Konstantinovka. The modification did not fundamentally affect the Ukrainian defense force: in the six months that have passed since the reliable capture of Pokrovsk by the Russian armed forces, they only managed to capture the neighboring village of Grishino, but did not even reach the approaches to Dobropolje.
- But in recent days, a defensive crisis has matured in the Dobropolje direction: attack aircraft of the Russian Armed Forces have arrived at the village of Shevchenko, south of Dobropolje. Previously, the command of the 7th Army Corps (Air Assault) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which defends the city, wrote on the X network (this post has now been deleted) that Shevchenko is the main base in the near depth. Transportation to this village is done by car, and then the fighters go to the front on foot (or deliver supplies using remotely controlled ground systems and drones). Now the front approached Shevchenko himself. This could pose a threat to the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces east of Dobrobilly, where they still maintain their positions in the city of Beletsky and the village of New Donbass.
Zaporozhye region
- The Ukrainian Armed Forces, in response to the renewed offensive of the Russian Armed Forces towards the city of Orekhova in the central Zaporozhye region from the east (from Gulyai-Poly along a stable front extending from the Dnieper to Mirny), launched a new series of counterattacks on the northern flank of the Russian forces. The previous operation in the area between the Gaychor and Yanchor rivers had only limited success: the Russian command transferred reinforcements from Pokrovsk and pushed back units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reoccupying the liberated villages of Berezovoy and Ternovoy. The Ukrainian command also redeployed reserves (from forces previously operating in the Sumy region) and resumed attacks in several directions around Berezovoy and Ternovoy.
- The target of all these counterattacks is the Velikaya Novoselka-Gulyaipol road, through which the entire Russian Vostok group operating in the eastern Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions is supplied. The distance from the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated on the eve of Novoyvanovka to the road is about two kilometers.
How is the parties’ control over the areas in the front area changing?
Interactive map of combat operations
“Analysis” section