October 13, 2025
- To the surprise of the Russians, the Ukrainian Armed Forces achieved success in the Dobropillya and Zaporizhzhia directions, encircling several enemy groups and liberating some settlements.
- Ukrainian forces launched counterattacks, forcing the Russians to reconsider their combat orders, as they had not expected the Ukrainians to launch offensive actions.
The Russians are currently experiencing problems in the Dobropillya and Zaporizhzhia sectors. The enemy was not expecting the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch offensive operations there, even though they achieved some success.
Due to unexpected actions by Ukrainian defenders, the occupiers were trapped. This was noted on Channel 24 by retired Major Alexei Getman, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
How did the enemy fall into the trap?
Alexey Getman noted that our troops have encircled several Russian army groups in the Dobropillya sector. The Russians are attempting to free them and are deploying additional forces.
The enemy is currently unable to achieve anything. They are left with either surrender or be eliminated. This, at the very least, is a distraction to the Russians’ ability to continue active operations near Pokrovsk.
For at least several months, the Russians had been moving heavy equipment, concentrating troops, and supposedly preparing for an offensive in the Zaporizhzhia area. They received our counterattack in response.
This was a surprise to them. An army that’s almost ready to launch an offensive isn’t very good at immediately switching to defensive action. We took advantage of this. Several settlements were liberated,
” the retired major emphasized.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces can launch counterattacks, launch counteroffensives, and achieve success. Our troops carry out these actions despite a numerical advantage. Despite this, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are making progress despite having fewer personnel, equipment, and so on.
“In my opinion, the key is the element of surprise, when the enemy definitely doesn’t expect us to launch an offensive. They certainly didn’t. That’s why we were able to advance and consolidate our positions. Not deeply, but at the very least, they’ll have to rewrite their own combat orders, given the situation that has developed in recent days,
” said the veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
According to him, there have been no significant changes on other sections of the front in recent days. However, the occupiers are experiencing problems in the Dobropillya and Zaporizhzhia directions.
Situation at the front: latest news
- The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that 149 combat clashes were recorded on the front on October 12. The largest number of clashes occurred near Pokrovsk . The enemy launched 91 airstrikes on Ukrainian troop positions and populated areas, dropping 215 guided bombs. Russian forces used 5,256 kamikaze drones and carried out 5,436 attacks, including 83 from multiple launch rocket systems.
- In response, the Defence Forces’ air force, missile forces, and artillery struck ten enemy manpower and equipment concentrations. On October 12, the enemy suffered over 1,100 casualties and 21 artillery systems.
- On October 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian casualties in the Dobropillia area amount to approximately 13,000. It is also known that the Russian command attempted to unblock its troops in this area, but was unsuccessful.
https://24tv.ua/ru/situacija-pole-boja-sejchas-u-rossijan-problemy-2-napravlenijah_n2932583
If the AFU had the means, they would do a lot more to entrap and/or to destroy the cockroaches in industrial numbers. Ukraine’s friends just have no inkling about such matters, so it seems. Of course, cowardice plays the biggest role in this matter.
Ukraine have new commanders in the East, and are letting the NCO’s make on the spot decisions, unlike the orcs that can’t fart unless putler or gerasimov gives the order.
That is a good development. Flexibility in combat command is as important as ammunition. This was a strong point in the German command structure, with its Auftragstaktik. Of course, the potato generals will never relent any of their powers, not even a small fraction, and that is their biggest stumbling block.
I as reading an article from Kyiv Independant that questioned the shift. Interested in getting your thoughts
Here’s the link
https://kyivindependent.com/despite-almost-year-long-overhaul-ukrainian-armed-forces-still-grapple-with-corps-reform/
Cap, it’s nigh impossible to comment on something like this. I have too little information about it and the topic is too complex without knowing all the important details. Most of them are kept secret by the Ukrainian General Staff, which is good.
The corps system the Ukrainians have implemented are comprised of brigades, whereas a usual corps (in the West) is made up of divisions, which would be a much bigger force. Speaking of which, I agree with Krotevych, that the AFU should form divisions. A division is the smallest type of military unit that contains all essential elements to operate independently. This could be more useful than relying on brigades.
Essential to any military organization are not only size of units, equipment, and level of training, but also the command structure. This seems to be a bit of a problem in the AFU, as it is a huge problem in the roach army.
The Germans addressed the issue in the Early 19th century under Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke and others, who created the modern way to command an army, setting the stage for the German military’s immense growth in power during the coming decades.
However, making major changes in military structure is never an easy task, and it’s even more difficult while fighting a war. What Ukraine needs are fine military minds to help them with this. We have some who could do that.
Finally, what I can’t understand is why the West never pursued this issue early on, like before 2014 and especially since then. Training soldiers is fine and dandy, but they should’ve also seen the need for major changes in the country’s military command structure.
Thanks so much for such a thorough explanation