Russia has been deploying small groups of soldiers to infiltrate deep into Ukrainian defenses before regrouping and launching attacks, in an effort to “slice through” and capture more territory.
After months of deadlock, Russian forces recently made notable progress by breaching Ukraine’s defensive lines north of the stronghold of Pokrovsk in Donetsk province, pushing close to the Dobropillia–Kramatorsk highway. This is a vital supply route for Ukraine’s military, used frequently at least until mid-July.
On the map, Russia’s advances appear minor, but behind them lies a tactic Moscow is increasingly applying. Instead of launching massive offensives, Russian forces are shifting to a “salami-slicing” strategy: sending in small infiltration groups undetected through Ukrainian lines, regrouping into larger formations, and striking from the rear.
This cycle repeats, allowing Russia to wear down opposing forces and capture as much land as possible, giving Moscow a stronger position in any negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Donetsk, together with Luhansk, forms the key industrial region of Donbass in eastern Ukraine. They are two of the four provinces that Russia claimed to annex at the end of 2022. While Russia has fully seized control of Luhansk, it has yet to dislodge Ukrainian forces from roughly one-third of Donetsk, which remains under Kyiv’s defense.
One of Russia’s main objectives in Donetsk is Pokrovsk, a vital logistics hub and Ukrainian stronghold. However, Russia’s advance has faced major obstacles due to Ukraine’s terrain advantage. Both sides also heavily deploy surveillance drones, making any large-scale troop movement easily detectable and vulnerable to preemptive strikes. Sergeant Vitalii Piasetskyi of Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade, operating between Kramatorsk and Dobropillia, said his unit had intercepted and eliminated many Russian infiltrators, though some groups still slipped through.
“Russia wants to gain as much territory as possible as negotiations and political agreements begin to emerge,” said Colonel Dmytro Palisa, commander of Ukraine’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade near Pokrovsk. “They attack quickly, advance as far as they can, then dig in. They keep repeating this, but there’s no deeper strategic meaning behind it.”
By August 11, Russia’s “salami-slicing” tactics had allowed its forces to advance about 13 km, securing two protruding zones shaped like “rabbit ears” east of Dobropillia. On August 12, Ukrainian Commander Oleksandr Syrsky confirmed that “infiltrating units” had bypassed some Ukrainian positions, and Kyiv was deploying forces to respond.
Experts warn the situation is worrying, even alarming, for Ukraine, especially as U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted that a peace deal with Russia could include “territorial concessions.”
“If Ukraine does not quickly regain the initiative, and Russian forces consolidate their positions, turning salami-slicing into a true breakthrough, this could mark a turning point in the conflict,” said Pasi Paroinen, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group research team.
Konrad Muzyka, a military analyst in Poland, added that if the current situation continues, the fall of Pokrovsk is “only a matter of time.”
Losing Pokrovsk would expose the southern flank of Chasov Yar and nearby cities Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Control of Pokrovsk would allow Russia to weaken Ukraine’s defenses and supply lines in Donetsk, bringing Moscow closer to its goal of full control of the province.
To tighten the encirclement of Pokrovsk, Russia in early August intensified its salami-slicing tactics about 20 km northeast of the city, according to Deep State, an analysis group linked to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
From this position, Russian forces launched small advances westward and northward. Small Russian infiltration teams, usually 2–4 soldiers, exploited gaps in Ukrainian lines near Dobropillia to penetrate defenses.
“They gradually regroup into units of about 40 soldiers. Russian forces at the frontline launch frontal assaults on Ukrainian positions, while the 40-man unit strikes from the rear,” a Ukrainian lieutenant colonel explained to Le Monde.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson has rejected assessments claiming that Russian forces have achieved a major breakthrough in Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s 1st National Guard Brigade, along with the 33rd and 59th Brigades, have been deployed to the front line to reinforce defenses. A soldier from the 1st Brigade noted that Russian attacks had intensified following the recent collapse of peace talks.
A Deep State map dated August 17 showed that Ukrainian forces had cut the so-called “rabbit ears” from the remaining area under Russian control, effectively trapping Moscow’s troops inside Kyiv’s defensive lines.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia has suffered “heavy losses” in the area, with 910 soldiers killed, 335 wounded, and 37 taken prisoner. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on these claims but stated that its forces had “secured more favorable positions.”
Experts warn that this development could create new gaps in Ukraine’s defensive lines in Donetsk, while also highlighting Kyiv’s most pressing problem — a shortage of manpower to hold fortified positions.
“Russia is seeking to seize as much territory in Donetsk as possible. And this negatively impacts Ukraine, because it will force us to negotiate from a weaker position,” Colonel Palisa said.