Monday, July 20, 2026

Russia smashes Ukraine’s defenses in key Donbass stronghold – Defense Ministry

Krasny Liman liberation
A Russian serviceman takes shells for a 82-mm mortar during combat training amid Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russia. © Sputnik.

The military is completing the liberation of Krasny Liman as the offensive towards Slavyansk and Kramatorsk continues, Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov has said.

Russian forces are on track to liberate the key Donbass stronghold of Krasny Liman, located around 17 km northeast of the regional center of Slavyansk, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has announced, adding that Ukraine’s organized defenses in the area have been completely shattered.

The chief of staff made the remarks on Saturday as he inspected a command post of the Russian ‘West’ group of forces. Russian troops are currently sweeping through the town, conducting search-and-destroy operations against the remaining Ukrainian holdouts, Gerasimov stated.



“Units of the 25th Army are completing the liberation of the city of Krasny Liman, which is crucial for further operations on this axis. The enemy’s organized defense in the town has been broken, and isolated pockets of resistance are being eliminated,” he said.

Located in the north of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Krasny Liman has seen intensive combat in recent weeks, with Russian forces advancing onto the town from the east. It was first liberated from Ukrainian forces in May 2022, but was recaptured later that year.

The town served as a key logistics hub and stronghold for Ukrainian units stationed in the north of the republic.

Speaking at the command post, Gerasimov touched upon developments elsewhere on the front line. He said Russian troops have been expanding the zone of control around the recently liberated DPR city of Konstantinovka, located at the southernmost tip of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, a heavily fortified string of settlements in the northern part of the DPR that are still under Ukrainian control.

Russian troops have advanced to the northwest of the city toward the town of Druzhkova between Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk, and have already entered the satellite village of Alekseeyevo-Druzhkovka and are battling Ukrainian units stationed there, according to Gerasimov.

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Source:RT News

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5 COMMENTS

  1. So pleased Russia is smashing through Ukraine, its probably because Russia strikes against military targets and Ukraine chooses Ice Cream vans and pedestrians.

  2. The Ukrainians will be slowly ground down. All this death is down to the US, UK and EU plus a sprinkling of lesser vassals.

  3. I wonder how many NZ service members, including NZSAS have died in “training accidents” given their involvement in Ukraine since Russia Special Military Operation.

    NZDF give medals to servicemen involved in Uke, but say it is only those staged from UK.

    Why are NZDF giving medals to those not exposed to danger (from UK) unless they are actually in-country Ukraine doing the devils work. No wonder NZ Govt are handing over cash to Ukraine – it’s for our own military – minus consent of a parliamentary Act.

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