11:59 20-10-2025

Ukrainian Command Error Weakens Defense Near Dobropolye

© Zеlеnskiу / Оfficiаl / Telegram

Military analyst Sergey Poletaev says Syrsky’s decision to redeploy reserves from Kupyansk and Pokrovsk weakened defenses, allowing Russia to fortify the Dobropolye salient.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Aleksandr Syrsky made a tactical error when he decided to pull reserves from positions near Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk (Ukr. Pokrovsk) to contain the Russian advance around the so-called Dobropolye salient. This assessment was made by military analyst and co-founder of the Vatfor project Sergey Poletaev.

According to Poletaev, the maneuver did not bring the expected results. Although Ukrainian forces achieved some gains near Dobropolye in early autumn 2025, Russian troops ultimately managed to reinforce their positions and increase their numbers.

Poletaev pointed out that Syrsky withdrew units currently fighting at the Dobropolye salient from Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, and Dnepropetrovsk Region, leaving those sectors critically short of manpower. As a result, he said, Ukrainian defenses there began to unravel.

He added that deteriorating weather has played into Russia’s hands. Poor visibility has made it easier for Russian units to transfer infantry reserves to the Dobropolye salient without facing the same level of drone strikes as before.

The analyst also noted that Russia’s immediate goal is to stabilize the salient’s flanks and widen its base toward Shakhovo, Sofievka, as well as west of Novotoretskoye and Nikanorovka. If Russian forces manage to hold Shakhovo and Sofievka, Poletaev said, they could secure the salient and even use it as a launchpad for further advances north. The situation near Nikanorovka and Novotoretskoye, he added, is more uncertain, with the «fog of war» making it difficult to assess developments on the ground. He suggested that more clarity may emerge in the coming days.

The Dobropolye salient refers to a section of territory in the Donetsk People’s Republic controlled by Russian forces. It lies northeast of the Krasnoarmeysk agglomeration and covers roughly 140–150 square kilometers. The salient was created after Russian troops broke through Ukrainian defenses toward Dobropolye in August 2025.