Russian army units advancing in the Dobropolye direction have taken control of most of the village of Vasilevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to military blogger Yury Podolyaka.

Podolyaka said on Telegram that, based on incoming reports, Ukrainian forces had been pushed out of most of Vasilevka and that Russian troops were generally occupying the settlement.

He also said fighting was continuing near the town of Shevchenko and the nearby settlement of Novy Donbass. According to Podolyaka, Russian forces are trying to build on earlier gains in Grishino and Novoaleksandrovka as they advance toward Shevchenko.

The blogger described the situation there as extremely difficult for the opposing side, citing Ukrainian data.

In Podolyaka’s assessment, if Russian units capture Shevchenko, they could move toward the Novogrishino-Vodyanskoye line. He argued that, after that, further fighting for Dobropolye would become only a matter of time.