Ukraine’s Dobropillia Offensive: Zelenskyy’s Claims, Russia’s Counter, and What’s at Stake
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Donetsk over the past 24 hours coincided with one of Ukraine’s most aggressive counteroffensives in months--focused on Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. From the frontline, the Ukrainian president claimed that over 2,500 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the operation began, with more than 1,300 reported killed in the Pokrovsk area alone.
He also said nearly 100 Russian soldiers had been captured, and that Ukrainian forces had reclaimed 160 square kilometres and seven settlements, with another 170 square kilometres “cleared” of Russian forces.
Russia’s version of the battle tells a different story. According to its defence ministry, Ukrainian forces suffered 1,395 casualties in the past 24 hours across multiple fronts, including Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Battlegroup Center reportedly inflicted the largest losses--over 435 Ukrainian troops. The figures were published via the state outlet TASS and, like Kyiv’s numbers, remain unverified by independent sources.
Russia further claimed that its FPV drone operators had thwarted Ukrainian rotations near Zaporizhzhia, while tank and artillery units operating in the Lugansk region had eliminated camouflaged Ukrainian positions at distances of up to five kilometres.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has been using battlefield momentum to amplify diplomatic messaging. In a symbolic gesture, he signed and returned to parliament the newly-ratified 100-Year Partnership Agreement with the United Kingdom, praising Britain’s support as “unwavering” and singling out King Charles III for what he called a principled stance.
On the same day, he congratulated Albania’s Edi Rama on his reappointment as prime minister, calling him a strategic partner in Ukraine’s vision for a secure and united Europe. Both moves were aimed at shoring up alliances in Western Europe at a time when frontline warfare is demanding both ammunition and patience.
Zelenskyy’s speeches from Donetsk doubled as situation reports. He visited the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades, discussed procurement, maintenance, and drone defence with commanders, and promised reforms to speed up military commendations.
In an unusually detailed account, he said Ukraine was working to improve repairs for Western military equipment and seeking to reduce delays in reward nominations for frontline soldiers. This was not just morale-boosting. It was a strategic message to Kyiv’s partners—Ukraine, he suggested, is doing its part. It now needs support that matches its commitment.
Russia, for its part, reported that 43 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight in multiple regions including Rostov, Volgograd, and Crimea. Two private homes in the Volgograd region were damaged, and dry grass fires broke out in the Rostov region.
While Russian officials confirmed no civilian casualties, airspace around Volgograd, Saratov, and Samara was temporarily restricted. Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for these drone incursions, which now occur nightly, underscoring the growing role of unmanned systems in both offensive and retaliatory operations.
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| Ukraine’s Counteroffensive in Donetsk. Via: Zelenskyy |
What can be confirmed is Zelenskyy’s presence in the Donetsk theatre, his direct coordination with assault units, and his administration’s deliberate alignment of military messaging with geopolitical overtures.
If Ukraine’s figures are accurate, it represents one of the most effective pushes in the east since early 2023. If Russia’s version holds weight, Ukrainian advances may be far more costly than Kyiv is willing to admit. What remains clear is that both governments are preparing for a protracted phase of the war. For Ukraine, that means rallying not just troops but treaties.