The Russians massed 100,000 troops to take the last free cities in Donbas. One hill bars the way
Whether Hill 207 holds could decide Russia's planned offensive on the last strongholds of free Donbas
Browsing Tag
Siversk
32 posts
Russia builds bridgehead toward heights around Dronivka which could expose Ukraine’s flank to fire
81st Brigade battles to hold Dronivka as Russians mass forces in Serebryansk Forest
The Soviet disease plaguing both armies—and the Ukrainian brigades trying to cure it
Two cities fell in late 2025 because commanders lied about holding them. The difference in what happened next may decide the war.
ISW: Ukrainian troops advance in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk
A Kremlin-linked source admits Ukrainian gains in Kupiansk, blaming the weather for stalling Russian drones and favoring Ukraine's numerical advantage.
Ukrainian military dismisses two brigade commanders after Siversk debacle traced to false reporting
Two Ukrainian brigade commanders are out after investigations revealed they falsely reported troop presence in Siversk while positions stood empty, allowing Russian forces to capture the northern Donetsk city with minimal resistance
“Every meter of the town was costly for them”: Ukraine withdraws from Siversk after bleeding Russia for 41 months
General Staff says withdrawal preserves combat-ready units.
ISW: Russian forces have likely seized the town of Siversk after 41 months of fighting (MAP)
After years of resistance and brutal advances, Russian troops may have finally taken the small town of Siversk in Donetsk Oblast.
ISW: Russia’s top general promises fast victory — but even his boasts prove the opposite
Belousov insists the Fortress Belt is key to a rapid takeover, yet even his own timeline suggests years of grinding warfare.
Russia claims it captured Siversk and portrays its victory as inevitable — but ISW says neither is true (MAPS)
The announcement is part of what ISW calls cognitive warfare — aimed more at perception than actual battlefield control.
ISW: Russian forces try to apply Pokrovsk-style tactics in Siversk and Lyman against Ukraine’s Fortress Belt
The Kremlin is using a mix of weather-aided raids, artillery-coordinated drones, and forward infiltration near key defense axes.
ISW: Putin and Gerasimov keep boasting of sweeping wins in Ukraine—but even Russian milbloggers call them fiction
At a briefing, Gerasimov falsely claimed that Russian troops had encircled thousands of Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.
Russia failed to take Pokrovsk this summer—now it’s sending elite naval units and tanks for round two, ISW says
Ukraine’s forces warn Moscow has shifted tactics and is preparing fresh multi-directional assaults.
The Russians creep toward Siversk, losing tanks on the way
A Russian tank column rolled into a bloody disaster outside Siversk in eastern Ukraine. But Moscow's troops are still advancing.
Russia’s tanks hid behind smoke – Ukraine’s drones showed that trick is dead
Russia doesn’t use tanks often anymore — this disaster near Siversk shows why.
ISW: Russian forces advance in Belgorod Oblast and eastern Ukraine
Russians secured new positions across Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts. Ukrainian military pushed back Russian troops near Shevchenko settlement south of Pokrovsk.
ISW: Ukrainians advance in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast
Meanwhile, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, and the Russians near Siversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
Forbes: As Ukraine retreats from Kursk, Russian advances stall or reverse in other sectors
Near Donetsk's Siversk, the Ukrainians repelled a mechanized Russian assault, destroying more than half of 41 Russian vehicles.
Frontline report: Ukraine thwarts triple Russian breakthrough attempt at vital Siversk supply hub
Russian forces deployed heavily modified "turtle tanks" and coordinated infantry attacks in Donetsk Oblast, only to see their armored units systematically destroyed by Ukrainian drone operators and defenders.
Frontline report: Ukraine’s drones decimate Russian motorbike assault, leaving single survivor
After losing an army of tanks in previous assaults, Russian commanders' switch to fast-moving motorcycle raids near Siversk proves equally catastrophic against Ukrainian defenses.
ISW: Russian forces advance near multiple locations in Donetsk Oblast
Russians advanced near Donetsk's Siversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in western Zaporizhia Oblast, ISW says.