Ukraine reshuffles command as fighting intensifies around Slovjansk and Kramatorsk
Ukrainian commander Myhailo Drapatyin has reorganized the Donetsk front, creating two new force groups as Russian troops close in on Slovjansk and Kramatorsk.
According to Black Bird Group analyst Emil Kastehelmi, fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk region has reached a pivotal stage as Russian forces inch closer to the major towns of Slovjansk and Kramatorsk. Ukrainian Armed Forces commander Myhailo Drapatyin responded by overhauling the front-line command, establishing two new force groups attached to the 11th and 19th army corps. The 3rd army corps under Andrii Biletskyi will cover the Lyman sector and the Kramatorsk-Kostjantynivka area, while the 1st army corps led by Denys Prokopenko will oversee Dobropillja and its southwestern front.
Russian troops are now relying on small-unit infantry assaults, limiting prospects for large-scale sieges, and unverified reports indicate they have withdrawn from positions west of the Nitra River to the Žerebetsjoki line, reducing the threat to Lyman’s northern flank. Kastehelmi warns that without improved drone-defence capabilities, the stalemate may persist for months, though any breakthrough could reshape the broader front.
