Russia makes lightning breakthrough north of Pokrovsk, advances 12 km in just 48 hours
Russian troops, for the first time in many months, broke through to a depth of 12 km in the past 48 hours, cutting the Dobropolye-Kramatorsk road north of the village of Zolotoy Kolodez.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•13/08/2025
The northern end of the Ukrainian army (AFU) defense line, near Pokrovsk, has collapsed; and this is no exaggeration. For the first time in many months, the Russian army (RFAF) has broken through the AFU defense line in just two or three days, advancing to a depth of 11-12 kilometers. This is the situation in the area of the villages of Zolotoy Kolodez and Novovodanoye. Previously, the Military Review reported that the AFU General Staff admitted that the Russian army had cut off the T0514 Dobropolye-Kramatorsk road in the area of the above-mentioned villages. However, the AFU General Staff said that this road was cut off by a "gray zone".
Thus, in just one week, the RFAF in this front area alone controlled more than 60 square kilometers of territory, controlling or at least entering a number of densely populated areas, including Novoye Shakhovo and Zolotoy Kolodez. Currently, the distance from the Russian forward positions in the region to the southwestern outskirts of Kramatorsk is 24 km. The distance is similar from positions north of Bakhmut, and less than 18 km from positions north of Chasov Yar. Therefore, it can be said that the RFAF is encircling Kramatorsk in the same scenario as the encirclement of other cities in Donbass. To prevent the AFU from “cutting off” the RFAF’s breakthrough attack spearhead into the northeastern defense line of Dobropolye, the Russian troops here are actively expanding their flanks. Currently, the Ukrainian army has not had any significant counterattacks, continuing to retreat from the battlefield with heavy losses. Rybar channel reported that during the attack on northeastern Pokrovsk, the Russian troops cut off one of the key logistical routes of the AFU in this direction. It was the T0514 route, which connects Dobropolye with Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. The area where the AFU lost control was located north of the villages of Zolotoy Kolodez and Rubezhnoye. Thanks to successful breakthrough operations, the RFAF reached the villages of Novovodanoye and Petrovka, cutting off the AFU's most optimal logistical line between Pokrovsk and the Slavyansko-Kramatorsk region.
And considering that the RFAF has also cut off the T0515 route near the strategic town of Rodinske, the entire “northeast” supply line for the AFU in Pokrovsk has ended. However, Kiev denies losing control of the said area near Novovodanoye. According to their explanation, this route is now a “gray zone (not controlled by either side)”. According to the Pentagon's Liveuamap war map, it can be seen that the AFU has lost control of the village of Zolotoy Kolodez, as well as the villages of Novoye Shakhovo and Vesyoloye (at least partially). The military analysis site DeepState, affiliated with the AFU intelligence agency and volunteer Serhiy Sternenko, reported on August 11 that the RFAF had achieved a significant breakthrough on the northern Pokrovsk front in the Dobropillya area, quickly advancing 10 kilometers, creating an extremely difficult situation for the Ukrainian troops. According to Deep State, Russian units have suddenly advanced east of the town of Dobropolye, near the villages of Kucherov Yar and Zolotoy Kolodets. The key Dobropolye-Kramatorsk highway has been cut off and is now under Russian control, in the Novovodanoye area.
This breakthrough is a continuation of the offensive that began a few days ago north of Pokrovsk – in the direction between Dobropolye and Konstantinovka. At the same time, Russian forces are conducting offensive operations in other areas: an advance has been reported north of Chasov Yar, increasing pressure on Ukrainian defenses in the rest of Donetsk Oblast. The village of Zolotoy Kolodez is located 10 km from the city of Dobropolye; thus, the highway to Kramatorsk in the Petrovka area has been cut off by the Russians. The remaining Ukrainian troops in the south in the Belitskoye, Rodinske and Pokrovsk areas are now in a critical stage, as they have been cut off from the north. The only way out for the Ukrainian troops here is to retreat along the M-30 highway westwards towards Dnepropetrovsk. In addition, for the Ukrainian energy system, the breakthrough of the RFAF in the Dobropillya region means the guaranteed closure of the 330 kV Belitskaya substation in the Krasnoarmeysk region and the interruption of power transmission between the Dnepropetrovsk-Zaporozhye region and the 330 kV Lozovaya substation. As a result, all the northeastern regions of the territory of Ukraine controlled by Kiev (Kharkov and Sumy regions) are practically "hanging" on two 330 kV substations - Nizhyn and Kremenchuk.
The British Financial Times, commenting on the RFAF breakthrough north of Pokrovsk, noted that this would allow the RFAF to bypass and encircle the fortifications and defense lines built by the AFU in recent months. At the same time, the article also stressed that the actual situation of the Ukrainian troops has become much worse than previously predicted. (photo source: Deep State, Military Review, Kyiv Post, TASS).
Thus, in just one week, the RFAF in this front area alone controlled more than 60 square kilometers of territory, controlling or at least entering a number of densely populated areas, including Novoye Shakhovo and Zolotoy Kolodez. 
Rybar channel reported that during the attack on northeastern Pokrovsk, the Russian troops cut off one of the key logistical routes of the AFU in this direction. It was the T0514 route, which connects Dobropolye with Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. 
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