Yevhen Lasiychuk, commander of Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps, said that in the summer of 2025, the Defense Forces gave up Pokrovsk in Donetsk region in order to deploy reserves to Dobropillia and thwart Russia's plans to encircle the entire Donetsk region.
According to Ukrinform, Lasiychuk said this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.
"At that point, the military command needed to respond to the enemy's active operations. When choosing between Pokrovsk and Dobropillia—that is, deciding where to send the reserves—Dobropillia was chosen, and that was the right decision. Otherwise, the enemy would have gained control over a broad front and advanced deep into the operational area," he said.
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According to Lasiychuk, in order to prevent Russian forces from bypassing the entire Donetsk region—moving from the south toward Dobropillia and from the north toward Barvinkove—the military command decided to stabilize the situation in the Dobropillia area and restore lost positions as far as possible. "Our corps brigades were deployed there, among other units," he added.
As previously reported, Russian forces lost another 2,220 troops in the war against Ukraine over the past day, along with three multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS).
Photo: Command of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine