Russian forces encircling north of Pokrovsk switched direction and headed further north not west and advanced 20 km (10km in 1 day) to capture a section of Ukraine's fortified "New Donbas Line", which is Ukraine's final (still unfinished) line of defence in the Donetsk Oblast.

Having captured a section of the fortified line the Ukrainians admit it's now going to be very difficult to get the Russians out.

This is something of a disaster for the Ukrainians and could make the defence of the whole of the Donbas region untenable.

From the captured section the Russians may now be able to roll up the Ukrainian defenders in both directions capturing the entire line and so giving themselves a heavy fortified defence line from which to push the Ukraine army out of the Donbas region altogether.


In other news,

'Drivers, artillery men and cooks are holding the line, says Bogdan Crovich, an officer formerly with the Azor Brigade headquarters. A maximum of 12 fighters hold sections 5 to 10 kilometers wide. The lack of manpower is allowing Russia to employ what Ukraine's commander-in-chief Alexander Syski recently called total infiltration tactics.'

Meanwhile,

“On the Pokrovsk – Konstantinovka line, it's a complete f**k-up" — former chief of staff of the Azov brigade Bohdan Krotevych publicly addressed Zelensky.

"Mr. President, I honestly don't know exactly what you are being reported, but I inform you: on the Pokrovsk – Konstantinovka line, without exaggeration, it's a complete f**k-up. And this f**k-up has been growing for a long time, worsening every day” ...



British think tank 'The International Institute of Strategic Studies' report publication 'Military Balance' puts the Ukrainian armed forces currently at just 300,000, down from a high of 960,000 in the summer of 2022, despite continuos conscription since early 2022.

They put the Russian army in Ukraine at 150,000 at the end of 2022 and now at 640,000 and a total army size of 1.13 million.



New videos show Russian Geran drones dropping mines along the main highway north of Pokrovsk city, the city's main supply route, a method of long distance mining not seen before. The mines can be seen on the road but still need to be cleared and vehicles are attacked by FPV drones while they wait.



Update from Ukraine | It is Getting Worse | Ruzzians Broke through the main Defense line




Bilateral summit, US coalition war and Russia

Russian manoeuvres in Donbas continue with the operational encirclement of the city of Pokrovsk and the potential entrapment there of 10,000 Ukrainian troops by some estimates.

Russian troops are also spreading west and east from the original breakout point north of Pokrovsk. Ukraine has redeployed at least 2 brigades to try to stem the advances.

Even pro-Ukrainian channels are saying this is serious because the bulk of the Ukrainian army is deployed in the Donbas and the Russians, having broken through the last main defence line are now in a position to out flank and encircle the Ukrainians over a very wide area.

For the Ukrainians to retreat is to give up the Donetsk oblast completely and with no prepared defence lines to retreat to.

In Pokrovsk Zelensky is already saying no retreat (as usual). Also as per usual Ukraine is talking Russian human wave attacks and huge losses while also admitting huge numbers of Russian volunteers to the armed forces and no sign of Russian mobilisations any time soon.

This doesn't add up, wave attacks and huge losses does not fit with lots of volunteers and no need for mobilisations. Not in the real world it doesn't and especially after 3 years of war.

What the Russians are saying is that the Ukrainians are retreating as soon as they turn up (if there are any there in the first place) and there's very little in the way of firefights. The Military Summary channel video suggests that the Azov brigade sent as reinforcements are actually there to stop retreating Ukrainian troops, by any means necessary.


Negotiations;

Zelensky and the Europeans want an unconditional ceasefire.
Trump wants any kind of a deal that allows the US to get out.
Putin wants his goals met as a means to long term stability in the region


Old quote, 'Negotiations do not replace the battlefield, they ratify it.'

Putin is proving he can achieve his negotiation goals on the battlefield (which is why he has those negotiation goals) whereas it's clear Zelensky and the European leadership cannot even come close, hence the scramble just to get a ceasefire instead.

Will Trump even present a deal to Zelensky even if he knows it will be rejected?

Looks like he won't have a choice given that both sides have ''maximalist long term goals'' but only one side is able to achieve them.

Listening to the Ukrainians they're hanging on because they expect western troops to come and save the day (like the Europeans keep saying they will, if they get US backing, which they wont).

It's a huge problem that Zelensky listens to the Europeans when they promote war endlessly but refuse to take on any of risk themselves.


Pokrovsk Operationally EncircledDRG Spotted Near DobropilliaMilitary Summary 2025.08.12




Update from Ukraine | Azov Deployed | Ukraine Sent Emergency Reinforcements to Stop Ruzzian Attack




Alastair Crooke : The Pressures on Trump.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
3 hours
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 14.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 14.08.25
personnel – about / about 1067100 (+990) persons
tanks / tanks – 11104 (+5) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23130 (+3) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31458 (+29) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1466 (+1) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1207 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 421 (+0) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51043 (+191)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 58456 (+191)
special equipment – 3937 (+0)

“Alaska more of a listening exercise” Trump on his part, umm, yeah right, so apparently Trump really did just forget everything Witkoff ever told him after the 5 or 6 meetings between Witkoff and Putin.

Easily done I guess, err, especially as it would have been exactly the same message each time.

Trump also saying now that he won't be discussing land swaps with Putin in response to Ukrainian and European protests.

For their part the Russians had reiterated they will not let go of the 4 eastern regions.

"Russia will not make territorial concessions in Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions. The territorial structure of Russia is enshrined in the country's constitution," - Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So what's left to negotiate? (Artic and nuke treaties)

Increasingly looking like this meeting between Trump and Putin might really have nothing to do with Ukraine except as an excuse to get it set up in the first place against all the US neocon anti-Russian resistance.

Rubio said recently that the talks were a good way to find out what Putin wanted, which many thought was a bit odd given that Putin and Lavrov had been tirelessly repeating the same message for over a year.

One US commentator said that Americans who just followed main stream media instead of the news could not know what Putin had ever really said because msm never reported it (Putin Lies).

Everyone seems clear that no deal will come out of Alaska. Zelensky and the Europeans will keep on pretending the Russian army/economy/society/leadership (take your pick) will suddenly collapse and so will not let go of their demands that basically Russia surrenders.

And if none of the above happens then there's always the hope (pink pony wishful thinking) that the neocons in the US might suddenly seize power and order US troops in, or that Ukraine will hang on for another 7 years while the EU raises €800 Billion, a new military industrial complex, and a million strong army.

'Hope over adversity' is one thing but 'hope over reality' is something completely different.

And if none of this 'hope' ever happens then for the Europeans it'll be a case of 'oh well, what a pity, never mind.' Ukraine was only ever a stepping stone to Russia anyway.


On the battlefronts not much being released yesterday on the official Russian or Ukrainian channels which may mean not much happened or that a hell of a lot did, they just don't want you to know what.

Telegram channels are reporting that the Russians are widening their breakthrough pathway into the main Ukraine defence line north of Pokrovsk and that further north Russian troops have entered the city of Kupiansk (Kharkiv oblast).


Douglas Macgregor: Ukraine War Is Over & NATO Exhausted Itself




Military crisis in Ukraine drives negotiations w/ Stanislav Krapivnik

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
4 hours
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 15.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 15.08.25
personnel – about / about 1068040 (+940) persons
tanks / tanks – 11106 (+2) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23133 (+3) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31498 (+40) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1467 (+1) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1207 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+1) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51190 (+147)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 58596 (+140)
special equipment – 3940 (+3)

Alaska supports Ukraine. Action before the meeting between Trump and Putin.

Will the US really pull out of the Ukrainian conflict?

Be honest, the only things Ukraine can provide for themselves are the troops and the battleground.

The US has supplied most of the money (for the Ukraine state and the military), military equipment and ammo, intel (on the ground and satellite), communications, advanced weapons including the personnel to operate it,

How long would Ukraine have lasted without all the US input?

The conflict would have been over long before now without it.

Commentators claiming insider contacts are revising upward the Ukrainian 'killed in action' and killed to wounded ratio.

Reports say that the Ukrainian wounded are just not being treated and removed from the battlefield in a timely manner leading to a far greater number of deaths than earlier in the conflict.

The rough historic ratio is 3 wounded for every 1 KIA but in this conflict that ratio may now be closer to 1:1.

Some are saying 1.8 million Ukrainian troops killed is conservative, the actual number is much higher.

1 in 6 Ukrainians now saying they know someone killed, That number is astonishing.



The reports of the pre-Alaska talks between the European leaders and Trump look hilarious.

EU leaders said the current lines must be a starting point (to shift backwards over talks). No, the winning side will demand MORE for peace not Less, duh.

They went on to demand Trump give EU/UK and Ukraine security guarantees and Trump to demand from Putin he drop all his tiresome demands and just pay Zelensky the trillion $s he owes him, Trump said 'yeah fine, whatever'.

Trump did say he could offer Putin a minerals deal in Ukraine (what? On land Russia already occupies? haha).

Trump also thinks Putin might be interested in rare earths in Alaska, the reason the US doesn't do that themselves is because the environmental laws in the US are so tough the earths market price would have to be super high to make that profitable, so no, Putin won't be interested.

And that's it really, it's all laughable BS and makes you wonder what Trump and Putin will really be talking about? The Arctic, weapons treaties, and how quickly he can break away from these mad EU/UK bastards probably.

Trump must know by now that Putin doesn't not want to stop the conflict, he just doesn't need to.

Trump also knows by now he has nothing to threaten Putin with, and so he's not going to go up to Putin and present to him all that deluded, idiotic EU/UK BS.

So who's going to Alaska?

Notable additions on the Russian side is the minister of finance and the minister of defence, as well as Kirill Dmitriev head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

(Plus Putin, Lavrov)

On the US side is Witkoff (not Kellogg, and no minister of defence Hegseth). Scott Bessent (secretary of the treasury).

(Plus Trump, Vance and Rubio).

So no military people on the US side at all. Odd? Supposed to be all about ceasefires and peace talks isn't it?



On the battlefronts it is looking like Ukraine is sacrificing the city of Pokrovsk in order to stop the breakout north of the city that threatens to flank the 3 cities to the north east (Konstiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Sloviannsk). Further north east on the right flank the Russians (red shaded area) are just 10km from Lyman.

Of note is that Zelensky has sent to the breakout region a brigade from Kiev, reserves that are the last defence for the capital. Never had to do that before that I can remember.


On the Eve of Historic TalksRussians Launch Offensive Toward Kupyansk MS For 2025.08.14




Zelensky & Rutte FAIL to get invite to ALASKA

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
25 min
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 16.08.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 16.08.25
personnel – about / about 1069050 (+1010) persons
tanks / tanks – 11112 (+6) from
troop-carrying AFVs – 23135 (+2) from
artillery systems / artillery systems – 31540 (+42) from
MLRS / MLRS – 1467 (+0) from
anti-aircraft systems / anti-aircraft systems – 1207 (+0) from
aircraft / aircraft – 422 (+0) from
helicopters – 340 (+0)
UAV operational-tactical level – 51342 (+152)
cruise missiles – 3558 (+0)
warships – 28 (+0)
submarines – 1 (+0)
vehicles and fuel tanks – 58733 (+137)
special equipment – 3942 (+2)

Melania Trump gave Putin a letter about kidnapped children in Ukraine, – Reuters.
Trump personally gave it to Pippa during the talks

Fake “victories”: occupiers shoot staged videos of capturing settlements

Russian propaganda is actively using a new tactic to spread disinformation – staged “captures” of settlements to create the illusion of success on the front.

To do this, the enemy sends small groups with Russian flags (“twos”) to bypass the positions of Ukrainian defenders. Some of them manage to infiltrate individual settlements and shoot short videos that supposedly confirm the “capture” of the territory.

Such videos are used for “victorious” reports to the Kremlin leadership and distributed in the media in order to put pressure on Ukrainian society.

The day before, the enemy distributed another such video from the village of Andriyivka-Klevtsove.

In the video, fighters of the “Russian Volunteer Corps” as part of the “Timur Special Unit” of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and soldiers of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade demonstrate the real state of affairs in the village.

We remind you that a similar group of “standard bearers” in the village of Zelenyi Hai was recently liquidated (https://gur.gov.ua/content/pokvapylysia ... i-hai.html) by fighters of the “Bratstvo” unit as part of the “Timur Special Unit” of the GUR.

The armed struggle continues!
Glory to Ukraine!