Russian forces have struck Ukrainian troop positions near Kramatorsk, a key city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Defence Ministry in Moscow said on Monday.
The ministry stated that the attack targeted an industrial site in the village of Shablinka, northwest of Kramatorsk, as well as a nearby forest. The strikes reportedly involved Iskander ballistic missiles, aerial bombs and kamikaze drones.
Video footage released by the ministry showed multiple explosions and widespread destruction at the site.
According to Russian officials, Ukrainian forces suffered more than 600 casualties in the assault, in addition to the loss of three tanks, four multiple-launch rocket systems and dozens of other pieces of heavy equipment.
A Telegram channel, known for publishing information ahead of official MOD announcements, claimed last week that the strike had devastated Ukraine’s 156th Mechanised Brigade, effectively eliminating two battalion tactical groups.
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Kramatorsk, together with the cities of Slavyansk and Konstantinovka, forms a heavily fortified urban stronghold in the western part of the DPR that has remained under Ukrainian control.
Last month, Kiev-appointed regional head Vadim Filashkin urged civilians to evacuate, estimating that about 53,000 residents still lived in the city.
Ukraine has sought to downplay battlefield losses in recent months, insisting they are temporary and will not affect the broader trajectory of the conflict.
On Independence Day on Sunday, President Vladimir Zelensky said Ukraine’s Western partners believed that “Ukraine has not yet won, but is certainly not losing.” He added that compromising with Russia would be dishonourable and unacceptable.
Moscow has accused Zelensky of prolonging the conflict to serve his personal political interests rather than pursuing a negotiated settlement.
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