- Tsentr group eliminates 365 Ukrainian troops in 24 hours; Yug and Zapad forces report additional heavy losses
Novotoretskoye, Donetsk People’s Republic (Agencies) July 22, 2025: The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the capture of Novotoretskoye, a strategically located settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), following a series of coordinated offensives by the Tsentr group of forces.
According to the ministry’s statement, the operation was marked by “resolute actions” that led to the liberation of the area, which lies near key Ukrainian defensive hubs. The Tsentr group reportedly eliminated up to 365 Ukrainian soldiers in the past 24 hours, underscoring the intensity of the engagement.
Parallel operations by Russia’s Yug and Zapad groups have also inflicted significant losses on Ukrainian forces, with 215 and over 210 troops eliminated, respectively. These figures reflect a broader escalation in Russia’s summer offensive, which has seen increased use of operational-tactical aviation, strike drones, missile troops, and artillery across the DPR and neighboring regions.
Russian forces also targeted Ukrainian drone depots, UAV pilot training sites, and temporary unit locations, while air defenses reportedly intercepted two Neptune long-range missiles and 259 fixed-wing drones, further degrading Ukraine’s aerial capabilities.
Military analysts suggest the capture of Novotoretskoye could disrupt Ukrainian logistics and defensive coordination in the Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka corridor, a region already under pressure from Russian advances. The move may also facilitate deeper incursions toward Mirnograd and Konstantinovka, potentially isolating Ukrainian formations in the eastern theater.
The latest developments come amid a broader pattern of Russian territorial gains in the DPR, with simultaneous operations reported in Pershe Travnya, Krasnoarmeysk, Petrovskoye, Udachnoye, and Poltavka, further consolidating Moscow’s control over contested zones.