Ukrainian forces have liberated territory near Novoselivka in the Donetsk region and are continuing clearing operations in several nearby settlements, regaining at least 46 square kilometers (18 square miles) from Russian forces, according to military monitoring group DeepState on Friday, Aug. 29.
DeepState said it had confirmed earlier reports by Ukraine’s General Staff about advances on the Oleksandrivka sector of the front.
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“Ukraine’s Defense Forces liberated territory near Novoselivka and are conducting clearing operations near Voronne, Sichneve, Piddubne, Tovste, Novokhatske and Zelenyi Hai,” the group wrote.
According to DeepState’s assessment, Russian forces lost at least 46 square kilometers of territory as a result of the operation.
The reported gains come as Ukrainian troops have increasingly challenged Russian positions across several sectors of the front line after months of largely defensive operations.
Recent advances follow disruption of Russian communications
The latest advance follows a series of Ukrainian counterattacks that military analysts say have slowed Russian momentum and complicated Moscow’s battlefield operations.
In February, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Kyiv recaptured 201 square kilometers (78 square miles) in five days – Kyiv’s fastest territorial gain since the 2023 counteroffensive.
The think tank assessed that the gains were likely aided by disruptions to Russian battlefield communications after thousands of Starlink terminals used illegally by Russian forces were disabled.
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A US intelligence assessment published in May later concluded that restrictions on Russian access to Starlink significantly disrupted Moscow’s command-and-control systems and contributed to Ukraine regaining nearly 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory earlier this year.
Ukrainian officials have also credited expanded use of medium-range strike drones for helping shift battlefield momentum in Kyiv’s favor.
Commanders see chance to seize the initiative
The latest gains come days after Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletsky, commander of Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, said the coming months could become a turning point in the war.
Biletsky argued that Russian forces are becoming increasingly exhausted after more than four years of full-scale fighting.
“I believe the next six to nine months are a turning point,” Biletsky said.
“More precisely, I think the next six are the most critical.”
According to Biletsky, Ukraine has an opportunity to improve its battlefield position and secure strategic terrain before any future negotiations with Moscow.
“We need to define those directions where we can improve our positions, take some strategic points, and then speak with the Russians from a position of strength – not weakness – about a truly stable truce,” he said.
Russia has continued making gradual advances in eastern Ukraine throughout the war, but analysts say the pace of those gains has slowed in 2026 as Ukrainian forces intensified attacks on Russian logistics, communications networks and military infrastructure.
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