In the direction of Pokrovsk alone, the Russian occupiers have concentrated more than 110,000 soldiers, the Armed Forces Command said on Facebook, adding that the Ukrainian army has sent reinforcements to this sector of the front. World agencies are writing about the rapid or sudden Russian advance at this important point on the front line, with Reuters calling it one of the most dramatic in the last year.

The Ukrainian DeepState project, which monitors the development of the fighting, said on Telegram that the Russians had advanced near Dobropil on a narrow section of the front towards the villages of Kucheriv Yar and Zolotyy Kolodyazy.

"They are trying to consolidate their positions and gain a foothold in the area," the project said, adding that the situation in these places is developing quite chaotically, as the enemy has found gaps in the Ukrainian defense, is penetrating deep, and is trying to quickly gain a foothold and accumulate forces for further advancement.

Reuters, citing DeepState, writes about a sudden Russian advance into Ukrainian positions east of Dobropille, which threatens to break through the Ukrainian defense line. AFP, citing analysts, writes about a rapid advance by Russian forces in a narrow but important sector of the front line.

The Ukrainian army has denied reports that the Russians have managed to break through the front near the cities of Pokrovsk and Dobropille, the DPA agency reported, citing a statement from the Ukrainian forces group. According to it, the Russians are constantly trying to penetrate Ukrainian positions in small groups, which are immediately destroyed. However, the situation remains difficult.

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Spoken of the Ukrainian General Staff Andriy Kovalev told the Ukrainian Pravda server on Tuesday that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Oleksandr Syrsky has allocated additional forces to fight against Russian sabotage groups near Pokrovsk. The Azov corps has been deployed in the threatened section near Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian Pravda server wrote earlier.

The Ukrainian General Staff said in the afternoon that the army is taking measures to stop the enemy's advance near Dobropil and Pokrovskoe. Despite the losses, Russian special forces and small infantry groups are trying to break through the defense lines, the Ukrainian military command said, adding that several small Russian groups had bypassed the positions of Ukrainian defenders and were trying to advance towards the village of Zoloty Koldyaz and were penetrating into some other villages."Some groups have already been destroyed, others are in the process of being destroyed," the staff added. Similar statements by the parties to the conflict could not be immediately verified.

The Russian incursion near Dobropil may have been planned to increase pressure on Kiev and Ukraine to give up its territory in a situation where US President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss options for ending the war in Ukraine.

"The current situation is serious, but it is far from a collapse of the front, as some claim," said a former officer of the Ukrainian forces, who goes by the nickname Tatarigami_UA on social media. The situation reminds him of 2014 and 2015, when Russia also launched major offensives in eastern Ukraine ahead of peace talks to gain leverage for negotiations.

Please refer to my note from four days ago - this is critical. In both 2014 and 2015, Russia launched major offensives ahead of negotiations to gain leverage. The current situation is serious, but far from the collapse some suggest. So, what is actually happening on the ground?

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 12, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday evening that Russia was moving its troops in a way that indicated preparations for a new offensive operation. It was definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war, he said. Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he said, wanted to present his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump as a personal victory and continue his current course of action.