The Russian army will not be able to completely capture the Donetsk region by the end of 2025, although some progress in certain areas is possible. This was stated on Channel 24 by military expert and executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation Dmytro Zhmailo.
According to him, the Russian summer offensive campaign turned out to be a failure. Attempts to advance near the Serebryansk forestry, reach Kupyansk, and storm villages were accompanied by huge losses among the infantry. " The enemy cannot be proud ," the expert emphasized.
As a result, the Kremlin scaled back its plans: talks about a buffer zone in Sumy and Kharkiv regions have effectively stopped. Despite isolated actions in the Yunakivka area, Ukrainian forces are actively defending and even maintaining positions in the border areas of Russia, in particular near Tyotkino.
In the Sumy direction, the Russian marines are being replaced by less trained motorized rifle units from the Dnieper region. The main forces remain the 155th Marine Brigade, which previously operated in the Kursk region.
In addition, the enemy is selectively involving special forces, which act as sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Their tactics are to infiltrate in small groups between the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a subsequent attempt to accumulate forces. " Of course, we are knocking them out - both from Kupyansk and Pokrovsk, in particular from the Zvirovoye district and Kyivska and Leontovych streets. But this takes time, because the destruction is mainly carried out by drones ," Zhmaylo explained.
Currently, the Russian command has concentrated almost all its resources on the Pokrovsko-Dobropol direction. Events in this area affect the situation around the Pokrovsko-Mirnograd agglomeration.
" Do the Russians have the strength to capture the entire Donetsk region by the New Year? Fortunately, no. But some progress is possible. They may try to regain lost positions in the Dobropil Wedge area ," the expert concluded.
