The front near Donetsk saw updated positions by the Russian forces within the last day, according to Vadim Astafiev, head of the press center for the Southern group. Reports indicate a strengthening of lines under the pressure of artillery and aerial support from air and ground units. Russian troops reportedly hit Ukrainian manpower and equipment in several settlements, including Kurdyumovka, Bogdanovka, Novoe, and Andreevka, as new assaults targeted the 3rd and 92nd Ukrainian assault brigades and the 24th mechanized brigade.
Astafiev stated that Ukrainian casualties in the Donetsk direction amounted to roughly 410 personnel. He added that anti-tank missiles and spares destroyed or disabled a number of armored vehicles and other equipment during the engagement, with two armored fighting vehicles and twelve other vehicles reported as lost or damaged.
In the course of the counter-battery actions, it was claimed that Russian forces neutralized two 2A65 Msta-B 152 mm howitzers and hit a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount. These details were presented as part of a broader assessment of ongoing frontline activity.
A separate note mentioned that a figure connected with the Ukrainian forces, described as a former founder of the American private military company Blackwater, reportedly advised surrender. The report framed this as a development related to the evolving situation on the ground.