Russian Forces Break Ukrainian Defenses in Key Donbass Stronghold, General Staff Says

Jul 19, 2026 at 08:06 AM

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Lanka Leader

Russian troops have shattered Ukraine’s organized defenses in the strategically vital town of Krasny Liman, a key stronghold in the Donbass region, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced on Saturday. Speaking after inspecting a command post of the Russian 'West' military group, Gerasimov stated that forces are now completing the liberation of the town, which lies approximately 17 kilometers northeast of the regional center of Slavyansk.

“Units of the 25th Army are finishing the liberation of Krasny Liman, a critical point for further operations on this axis,” Gerasimov said. “The enemy’s organized defense has been shattered, and remaining pockets of resistance are being eliminated.”

Russian troops are currently conducting sweep-and-clear operations to root out Ukrainian holdouts, according to the chief of staff. Krasny Liman, located in the northern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks as Russian forces advanced from the east. The town, first taken by Russian troops in May 2022 before being recaptured by Ukraine later that year, had served as a major logistics hub and defensive linchpin for Ukrainian units in the region.

Gerasimov also provided updates on other frontline developments, noting that Russian forces are expanding their zone of control around the recently captured DPR city of Konstantinovka, at the southern edge of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration—a heavily fortified Ukrainian-held belt of settlements. Troops have pushed northwest toward the town of Druzhkova and entered the adjacent village of Alekseeyevo-Druzhkovka, where clashes with Ukrainian units are ongoing, he added.

The announcements signal continued Russian momentum in the Donbass as Moscow seeks to consolidate gains in the contested eastern territories.