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Ukraine strikes Russian command post in Donetsk Oblast, kills commander, military says

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Ukraine strikes Russian command post in Donetsk Oblast, kills commander, military says
Photo for illustrative purposes. Soldiers of the 30th Prince Konstanty Ostrogski Mechanized Brigade fire a missile from a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher at the positions of Russian troops in the Donetsk direction, Ukraine, on June 3, 2025. (Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian command post in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, killing the commander of the 85th Motorized Rifle Brigade, the General Staff reported on Aug. 11.

The Russian commander, identified by the call sign "Dniepr," was among those killed in the strike, according to the report. His full name has not been disclosed.  

The attack also reportedly killed five additional Russian soldiers. The full extent of damage is still being assessed, the General Staff said.

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Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

Ukrainian forces routinely target command posts in Russian-occupied territories, where key logistics hubs, troop concentrations, and military vehicles are typically positioned.

Earlier, Ukraine destroyed a Russian command post and killed five Russian soldiers in occupied Melitopol in a joint operation by military intelligence (HUR) and partisans on July 10.

Donetsk Oblast, partially occupied by Russia since 2014, has become the key focus of Russian offensive operations after the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022.

In recent months, Russian forces have closed in on key front-line towns like Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar, with the most recent reports suggesting a Russian breakthrough near Dobropillia.

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Kateryna Hodunova

News Editor

Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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