Russian forces are advancing toward Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic from two directions at once — from both the west and the east, according to sources in Russian law enforcement agencies cited by TASS.

Those sources report that Russian units are pushing in along the flanks, with assault groups now closing in on the city from both sides. In some areas, the distance to Druzhkovka has reportedly been reduced to just a few kilometers.

Earlier, military expert Andrey Marochko indicated that Ukrainian troops had occupied a building belonging to an educational institution on Sobornaya Street in Druzhkovka. He also noted that military equipment and supply depots had been placed on the grounds of a machine-building plant near a vocational lycée.

Retired Major General Vladimir Popov, a distinguished military pilot, assessed that routes used by Ukrainian drones heading toward the Lipetsk and Voronezh regions pass through the area between Donetsk and Lugansk. This includes the vicinity of Druzhkovka and the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, where fighting remains particularly intense.

Back in late January, reports pointed to a buildup of Ukrainian forces along key directions in Donbass. Large air assault units, equipped in part with American hardware, were being redeployed to Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka, and Slavyansk. Along these lines, Ukrainian forces continue to strengthen fortifications and develop their defensive positions.