Russian marines did not take Novy Donbass through a direct frontal assault. The breakthrough came after small assault groups pressed several sections of the defense at once, forced Ukrainian units to stretch their lines, and then struck the weak point that had been identified in advance, Krasnaya Zvezda reported.

The groundwork had been laid long before the assault teams moved forward. Since October, Russian artillery had been hitting positions around Novy Donbass, gradually shaping the battlefield for a later advance. Vadim Borisov, commander of a mortar battery, said the unit initially used mortars, but the high activity of FPV drones and fixed-wing unmanned aircraft made it increasingly difficult to deliver ammunition to firing positions. The battery later received D-30 howitzers and continued its fire missions with them from January.

Once the artillery preparation was complete, marine assault groups moved in. Heavy equipment was largely avoided on this stretch of the front: rough terrain and the constant threat from the air made it too vulnerable. Quad bikes became the main tool for logistics, moving along dirt roads and through forest belts where larger vehicles risked getting stuck or being hit.

The advance was slowed by mines, exposed ground and deep trenches. The approaches to Novy Donbass were clearly visible from the air, so the assault groups had to move quickly and stay concealed. The marines had been prepared in advance for the main obstacles, which helped them keep the pace of the attack.

The key element of the operation was a «fan-shaped» tactic. Small groups advanced across several lines at the same time, creating threats from different directions. Ukrainian units were forced to disperse, and a gap appeared in the defense. That gap became the focus of the main strike, after which Novy Donbass came under Russian control.

Dmitry Nikolayev, commander of the 3rd Marine Battalion of the 177th Separate Guards Marine Regiment, said the marines faced Ukraine’s 155th Mechanized Brigade in this area, followed by the 25th Separate Assault Regiment formed on the basis of Azov*, as well as the 4th Special Purpose Brigade «Chernaya Kalina.»

The capture of Novy Donbass expanded the zone of control east of Dobropolye. The position matters for further pressure on the city and for attempts to disrupt the supply lines of the opposing Kramatorsk grouping. Farther south, from the direction of Belitskoye, Russian forces are also advancing toward the outskirts of Dobropolye, increasing the risk of the city being pressured from two directions.

On June 17, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported the liberation of the settlement of Novy Donbass in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

*Azov is designated as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.