Today the biggest news comes from the Pokrovsk direction.

Here, Ukrainian forces are closing the gap around the remaining Russian forces in their Dobropillia salient. As Ukrainians finish off pockets of Russian resistance, the Russians’ only hope is to surrender to the advancing Ukrainian army or be annihilated completely.

After conducting a successful penetration from the high ground in the west, Ukrainians are now launching their attacks from the north as well, well, completing the pincer around the Russian Dobropillia salient.

Ukrainians are using highly trained infantry squads to move in, engaging with Russian forces along the way.

Superior supply lines give Ukraine tactical edge

The main advantage of the Ukrainians here is their far superior ground lines of communication, enjoying a direct supply line from Kramatorsk and Ruzhivka, functioning as central operating hubs for Ukrainian forces in northern Donetsk.

Additionally, if we take a look at the topographic map, we can see that as the Ukrainian supply lines approach the front, they cross through several settlements in the valley between two hills.

This blocks signals for Russian drones, who mainly rely on FPV-type kamikaze drones, in stead of munitions dropped from drones.

Russian fiber optics also still only makes up approximately 20% of FPVs used by the Russians, so the valley Ukrainians move through is largely protected against most Russian strikes.

The buildings in the settlements and tree lines running along them offer additional concealment factors to Ukrainian infantry units passing through.

Heavy drones dominate battlefield from above

The last major Ukrainian advantage is their extensive utilization of heavy drones like the Heavy Vampire and Baba Yaga variants.

Because these drones drop heavy explosives or a series of smaller mortar rounds from a height, they are able to fly and hover above the valley, unaffected by the weaker signal strength that Russians suffer from lower to the ground.

Coordinated assault eliminates Russian positions

Geolocated footage shows how Ukrainian infantry squads move south through the settlements under the watchful eye and in constant communication with Mavic reconnaissance drones that detect any Russian presence.

The Ukrainian squad initially engaged the position with grenade launchers using high explosive rounds.

However the rounds were not penetrating into the basement, where some of the Russians were hiding, so to save manpower, ammunition and time, a Vampire hexacopter drone was called in.

The drone then dropped four mortar rounds directly on the basement, wiping out the structure and scoring several direct hits into the underground structure itself.

Russian infantry attempting to flank Ukrainian attacks from the high ground to the east are also promptly intercepted by Ukrainian FPV drones patrolling the area, as signal strengths are much less disrupted on the high ground and the slopes that the Russians must move across first.

Systematic advance tightens the noose

In this manner, Ukrainians are systematically moving south. south, having already consolidated full control of Volodymyrivka and expanding the grey zone to fully encompass the Russian salient.

As you remember from a previous report, Ukrainians avoided finishing off the two Russian encirclements further north to lure more Russian forces in to attempt to rescue them, while keeping them away from important positions.

However, with the trap now sprung, there is little reason to keep these pockets alive and the final clearing operations have begun.

Final clearing operations eliminate remaining pockets

Ukrainian soldiers on the ground report that the western pocket has been cleared completely, as their attention is now moving to the one to the east.

Every Russian is first offered surrender and to be taken as a prisoner of war, however if they hold out and refuse they are promptly dispatched, as Ukrainian forces are much needed elsewhere, and maintaining a tight perimeter costs a lot of resources.

Overall, Ukrainians are closing the gates and finishing off any Russian soldiers who remain. remain, as Ukrainian soldiers on the ground are already reporting that the Prisoner of War Exchange Fund is rapidly being replenished.

In the grey zone, Russian units moving through are now eliminated by drones, as Ukrainian infantry is making their way forward, leaving the fields covered in Russian bodies.

Russian command faces reckoning

The Russian Dobropillia breakthrough event is coming to a close, as many Russian generals will soon start shifting the blame to one another, as a hammer of consequences is sure to soon come from the direction of Moscow.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war