Russian Forces Advance East of Slovyansk Amid Ongoing Offensive Operations
Russian troops have moved into several settlements east of Slovyansk, while Ukraine reports repelling some infiltration attempts and continues strike campaigns against Russian positions.
Russian units of the 3rd Combined Arms Army have pushed east of Slovyansk, seizing positions on the southeastern outskirts of Pyskunivka and advancing toward Mykolaivka from multiple directions, according to Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets. The advances include consolidation of footholds in Zakitne, Kryva Luka, and infiltration along the E-40 highway toward the western bank of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal. Ukrainian forces said they repelled a Russian infiltration attempt in Mykolaivka on August 22.
The offensive follows earlier attempts to outflank Slovyansk from the northeast through Lyman, which Ukrainian defenses and terrain have limited. Russian commanders appear to be focusing on securing Mykolaivka to facilitate future attacks on Slovyansk from the east, though analysts note that further settlement gains are required before a larger assault can be launched.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said President Vladimir Putin has set a deadline of December 31, 2026, for Russian forces to capture all of Donetsk Oblast, and claimed Russian casualties total about 267,000 personnel since the start of 2026, with the majority in the Kostyantynivka sector. Zelensky also announced a joint Ukraine-US-Europe peace proposal that calls for a ceasefire, reciprocal troop withdrawals and security guarantees from the EU and NATO.
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported a series of intermediate-range strikes on Russian air-defense assets in Krasnodar Krai, Rostov Oblast and occupied Crimea, as well as attacks on energy infrastructure in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In the Kharkiv sector, Ukrainian forces struck Russian servicemembers near Starytsya after a reported infiltration mission.
"Russian forces are conducting a dual tactical effort to connect elements near Kryva Luka and Rai-Oleksandrivka to launch an assault from dominant terrain to the east and south," Mashovets said.
"Our forces repelled a Russian infiltration mission in Mykolaivka," a Ukrainian military source reported.
"We have presented a ceasefire and withdrawal proposal to the United States and Europe," Zelensky said.
The report also noted instances of Russian forces using FPV drones against civilians near Pershomarivka and Druzhkivka, which analysts described as indicative of a broader pattern of targeting non-combatants.