Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin has reported an increase in the number of captured Ukrainian servicemen near the Kleban-Byk Reservoir and in nearby settlements along the Kostyantynivka sector of the front line.

He noted that after the liberation of Yablonivka, Russian forces in this direction significantly improved their positions, creating favorable conditions for a further push toward Kostyantynivka. Speaking on the Rossiya 24 TV channel, Pushilin said that incoming reports indicate a growing number of prisoners from Ukrainian armed formations in the Kleban-Byk area and surrounding villages.

A day earlier, Pushilin stated that on the Krasnoarmiisk (Pokrovsk) front, Russian troops had focused their efforts on the Krasnoarmiisk-Dobropillia road, operating there along a broad front. He said the situation for Ukrainian forces in Krasnoarmiisk (Pokrovsk) was rapidly deteriorating.

According to him, the morale of Ukrainian troops continues to decline amid setbacks along the front line. Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly voicing complaints about conditions at the front, and many prefer to surrender, believing that their command is using them as «cannon fodder.»