Ukrainian forces are striking targets in the occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast to halt Russian preparation for an autumn counteroffensive, says Oleksii Hetman, Radio NV reports.
On 8 September, Ukrainian forces launched a powerful combined missile and drone strike, targeting Russian military command structures in Donetsk. The city is a regional capital in eastern Ukraine, occupied by Russia since 2014. OSINT analysts and local sources confirmed the destruction of key command centers belonging to the Russian 41st Army and 20th Motor Rifle Division.
Ukrainian attacks lay the groundwork for an advance
“The Russians are planning very powerful attacks, so they are pulling in troops and redeploying,” explains Hetman.
That’s why Ukraine must destroy and weaken them as much as possible, and prepare for its own offensive actions.
During the attack, Ukrainian drones reportedly hit a third Russian-controlled military site — the Topaz plant. This facility, previously used by Russian forces to house command elements, suffered heavy structural damage.
According to analysts, an army-level headquarters was located inside the Topaz site as well.
A variety of Ukrainian weapons
Hetman believes that it is difficult to say exactly which weapons were used in the strikes, but that is not critical.
“We have a large arsenal of missiles: ‘Palyanytsya,’ ‘Peklo,’ ‘Trembita,’ ‘Flamingo.’ What exactly hit doesn’t make much difference. We carefully plan attacks and don’t use high-powered missiles where smaller ones are sufficient,” he says.
Precision strike strategy
According to the expert, every attack is carefully calculated. Ukraine employs its weapons based on the strategic importance of each target: more powerful missiles are used only where maximum effect is needed.
These actions drain the Russian military and set the conditions for future offensive operations.