Key facts
- Russian forces have intensified attacks on the frontline town of Dobropillia, Ukraine.
- The mayor has issued a mandatory evacuation order due to escalating indiscriminate attacks.
- Most of the town's 28,000 residents have fled westward.
- Russian troops have advanced to within six miles of Dobropillia's perimeter.
- A recent strike on a shopping center killed two people and wounded 28 others.
The frontline town of Dobropillia in Ukraine's Donetsk region is experiencing intensified Russian military escalation, leading to a mandatory evacuation order and a significant exodus of residents. Russian forces have breached nearby defenses, advancing to within six miles of the town's perimeter. Residents describe a stark change in recent weeks, with indiscriminate artillery, glide bombs, and drones targeting cars and pedestrians, transforming the once-thriving town into a tense and dangerous environment.
The current offensive appears to be timed with a peace summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian forces have deployed additional brigades to repel the incursion, but reports suggest Russian Diversionary-Reconnaissance Groups (DRGs) are slipping through defensive lines. The advance poses strategic consequences, potentially severing key Ukrainian strongholds.
A strike on the town's main shopping center on July 16 killed two people and wounded 28, which, along with escalating aerial attacks, prompted regional authorities to order families with children to evacuate on July 24. Many remaining residents are elderly or have already been displaced from other conflict zones, viewing Dobropillia as a former haven. The town now resembles a ghost town, with boarded-up windows and debris littering the streets, as the few remaining inhabitants prepare to leave everything behind.