Russia closes the lid on the Kleban-Byk "stew pot", determined to go all-in in Pokrovsk

The Russian army closed the lid on the Kleban-Byk stew, located south of the city of Konstantinovka; at the same time, it concentrated its forces on preparing for a general attack on Pokrovsk.

The offensive operations of the units of the Western Army Group of the Russian army allowed them to take control of the settlement of Sredneye, located in the north of Donetsk Oblast. At the same time, the Southern Army Group also took control of the village of Kleban-Byk, located south of the city of Konstantinovka.

The Russian military (RFAF) control of the village of Kleban-Byk, located on a hill, allows Russian FPV UAVs to take off from here, controlling almost the entire area of ​​Konstantinovka city. In addition, the "bottleneck" section runs along the Kleban-Byk – Aleksandro – Kalinovo route, where many Ukrainian soldiers died, protecting this route.

According to some information, about three thousand Ukrainian soldiers died in the village of Kleban-Byk and along this “bottleneck” due to RFAF fire. Since there is no land escape route for Ukrainian troops from this area, some Ukrainian soldiers are trying to cross the Kleban-Byk lake, by boat or raft, towards the city of Konstantinovka.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the RFAF seems to expect that the Pokrovsk breakthrough will pave the way for their advance deeper into Donetsk. It is possible that in the coming days, the RFAF will carry out an “all-out decisive breakthrough” in Pokrovsk, including sending experienced marine units to the area.

According to the AFU commander's estimate, there are currently about 150,000 Russian troops concentrated here, a rapid increase compared to the number given by Ukraine last month of about 100,000 troops. However, this number is considered an "exaggeration" by AFU, to increase the possibility of threat to Pokrovsk.

In mid-August, the RFAF suddenly launched a deep penetration operation into the AFU defense line north of Pokrovsk with small groups of troops, advancing about 10 km. The AFU General Staff had to urgently send in the 1st Azov Army to stop and push the Russian troops away from the breakthrough.

The AFU’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Brigade recaptured the villages of Hruzke and Vesele, at the tip of the salient, with the support of reconnaissance, artillery, and UAVs. They also used unmanned ground vehicles with machine guns to raid Russian positions, helping to consolidate the counterattack.

The terrain around Pokrovsk was also very unfavorable for the AFU counterattack, with all the fields being open, with little natural cover, and rain turning the ground to mud quickly. “That kind of environment does not allow for rapid advances,” Shaun Pinner, a Briton who fought in Ukraine, explained to the US magazine Forbes.

An officer of the AFU’s 413th Unmanned Systems Battalion, currently fighting in Pokrovsk, named Zhluktenko, said that the Pokrovsk front and especially Dobropillia are witnessing a very high intensity of fighting, with the RFAF sending small infantry groups to conduct reconnaissance attacks on the Ukrainian defenses, followed by motorcycle attacks. The dense summer trees provide cover, allowing the attacks to continue.

With the RFAF using UAVs in numbers far superior to the AFU, it has made the battlefield even more dangerous, turning the concentration of forces in areas into a dangerous task. “Every inch of the front line is under constant surveillance – UAV reconnaissance, artillery bombardment, making it almost impossible for either side to move undetected,” Pinner said.

Zhluktenko said his Ukrainian unit focused on attacking Russian infantry and vehicles up to 20 kilometers from the front line, preventing long-range advances. However, in such remote areas, RFAF electronic warfare forces are very active, so Ukrainian operations are often ineffective.

In addition, the lack of supplies is putting pressure on Ukrainian soldiers. Russia's elite Rubicon UAV unit attacked logistics centers on the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka front, cutting off supplies to the AFU's frontline UAV detachments.

“The battle for Pokrovsk is a war of logistics,” a Ukrainian soldier told The Times. That has increased the need for unmanned ground vehicles to handle frontline transport, reducing the risk to humans.

Some units on the Donetsk front are running short of UAVs. “We are still holding our lines, but we have much fewer infantry, and too few UAVs,” said Yurii Dymkovich, a UAV operator with the 23rd AFU Motorized Rifle Brigade. “The warehouse is almost out of FPVs, so we have to ration them. Each crew is only given a maximum of 25 a day.”

Volunteer Serhii Sternenko, head of a large charity, wrote on social media that up to 60% of the FPV UAVs purchased under state contracts appear to be malfunctioning on the front lines. The Ukrainian government has not yet commented on this.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers on multiple fronts say they feel pressure from Russia’s ability to mass produce UAVs. Pokrovsk remains under daily pressure, but Ukraine’s effective use of unmanned systems has limited Russia’s offensive capabilities.

For now, the Pokrovsk fortress still stands. However, Europe must understand that without stronger support, battles like this will tilt in Moscow's favor and Pokrovsk could fall quickly, Forbes concludes. (photo source: Military Review, Ukrinform, Rvvoenkory, Forbes).

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