Russian Forces Advance Toward Kurakhove, Putting Supply Routes at Risk

Russian forces are pushing toward Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, advancing from three directions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) are holding their defense, but there’s a real threat of the town being encircled and the primary supply route being severed, according to analysts.

The Ukrainian project Deep State reports that the pressure on Kurakhove has recently intensified, with new assault directions jeopardizing the town’s logistics. To achieve this, Russia has deployed extensive resources across multiple frontline sectors.

Military expert and UAF reserve major Oleksii Hetman explains that Russian forces have turned to the Kurakhove direction after being stalled at Pokrovsk.

“The enemy reached a distance of 7-8 kilometers, but we’re holding them back. They can’t push closer to Pokrovsk, so they attempted an advance from Toretsk without much success. Now they’re trying from the southern flank toward Kurakhove,” Hetman told RBC-Ukraine.

According to Deep State, if Russia maintains its current momentum, they could soon reach the N-15 highway between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk, which would allow them to cut off a crucial supply line to Kurakhove.

Hetman notes that this route is the main supply line for Ukrainian forces stationed in and around the town.

Further south of Kurakhove, Deep State identifies a broader objective for Russian forces: not only to control logistics but to eventually encircle the town.

BILD analyst Julian Röpcke warns of a deteriorating situation for Ukrainian troops near the Kurakhove Reservoir, with most of the town lying south of this area. He raised the possibility of a “cauldron” encirclement around UAF units in Kurakhove.

Nazar Voitenkov, press officer of the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, confirmed that Kurakhove faces encirclement risk. While he declined to say if a withdrawal might be needed, he described the situation as "extremely difficult" and noted a drastic change since summer.

After capturing Vuhledar, Russian forces continued their advance toward Kurakhove, marking it as their next target.