Ukrainian forces target Russian salient in northern Donetsk

The 3rd Army Corps is currently pressing toward the village of Kolodiazi, seeking to eliminate a bridgehead held by the Russian 20th Army on the western bank of the Zherebets river. While initial reports from analysts suggested a limited platoon-level engagement, the strategic stakes are significant; success here would stall Russian attempts to bypass Lyman and threaten the major cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk from the north.

Russian forces remain within 8.5 kilometers of Kramatorsk’s eastern boundary, having recently established bridgeheads across the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas canal near the villages of Tykhonivka and Malynivka. Despite these advances, the Ukrainian defense remains anchored by a series of engineering obstacles, including anti-tank ditches, that have thus far stalled a broader breakthrough. Meanwhile, in the Kharkiv region, Russian units are attempting to link their positions near Vovchansk with those near Dvorichne, a move that analysts warn could further pressure the embattled city of Kupiansk.