News Feed

Russia's advance slows down in critical areas after Ukraine regrouped, Syrskyi says

2 min read
Russia's advance slows down in critical areas after Ukraine regrouped, Syrskyi says
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi at a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 21, 2024. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Ukraine has regrouped its troops on the battlefield, slowing down Russian forces' advance in the most "threatening areas," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb. 27.

Russian troops are actively pushing on the Novopavlivka sector in eastern Donetsk Oblast, trying to break through Ukraine's defense and capture three settlements, according to Syrskyi.

He did not specify which settlements he meant.

The village of Novopavlivka in Donetsk Oblast lies some 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the embattled city of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian troops in the region.

Article image
The estimated Russian advance near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, as of Feb. 26, 2025, according to DeepState. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

"However, our side has taken a number of measures to improve the interaction of military units and subdivisions, regrouped troops, which slowed down... (Russia's) advance in most threatening areas," the general said after visiting the front line.

Since the beginning of the day, 110 clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces have taken place along the front line, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on Feb. 27.

According to Syrskyi, Russia continues trying to reach the administrative border of Donetsk Oblast, suffering heavy losses.

"The plans remain unfulfilled," he said.

A day before, the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade reported that Ukrainian troops had regained control of the village of Kotlyne, near Pokrovsk. Kotlyne and Pokrovsk are connected by the T 0406 highway, which also leads to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, social and war-related issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed

During a meeting with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on July 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need to take additional "more decisive" steps to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure and emphasized the importance of robust winter preparedness plans for communities and regions.

 (Updated:  )

Yulia Svyrydenko, who replaced former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in July 2025, will now take on a new role leading cooperation with Ukraine’s key partners, Zelensky announced on social media.

Video

Once promoted by the Kremlin as a symbol of Russia’s resurgence and a premier tourist destination, the peninsula now faces mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone strikes targeting military infrastructure, logistics, and supply routes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 11 that he is preparing changes to Ukraine’s “diplomatic efforts” to accelerate weapons deliveries from allies, as Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot air defense missiles has run dry.

Show More