Brief Frontline Report – July 13th, 2025
Report by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reports: "Units of the "Center" Group of forces liberated the settlement of Nikolaevka in Donetsk People's Republic through offensive actions. The "East" Group continued advancing into enemy defensive depths, liberating the settlement of Karl Marx (K. Marksa on the map) in the Donetsk People's Republic."
Today's decisive operations by the Russian Armed Forces on both flanks of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) direction yielded further success with two more settlements in the DPR territory secured.
On the eastern flank (east of Pokrovsk-Krasnoarmeysk), from Grodovka to Razino, following Nikolaevka's liberation, our forces cleared the right bank of Kazenny Torets River. Nikolaevka - a small riverside village of about 350 residents - provides control over river crossings to Novoekonomicheskoe on the opposite bank. Northward from the Razino bridgehead, expansion continues toward Fedorovka and Boykovka on the left bank, with further advances along the river toward Novotoretskoye.
As noted in our July 3rd assessment, after Razino's capture, Russian forces established a west-bank bridgehead allowing operational flexibility while maintaining initiative. The latest reports confirm our assault groups have pushed from Razino toward Fedorovka and Boykovka. The enemy had prepared defensive positions in the Boykovka-Zatishok-Fedorovka area to protect their left flank near Novotoretskoye-Belitskoye-Pokrovsk defensive hub.
Neutralizing these positions while securing our right flank near Novotoretskoye enables driving a new wedge through the Razino-Rodinskoye axis. This disrupts AFU logistics from rear areas and isolates their Konstantinovka grouping, while simultaneously threatening Mirnograd (Dimitrov)-Novoekonomicheskoe from the north.
On the southwestern flank (southwest of Pokrovsk-Krasnoarmeysk), we liberated Karl Marx (Mirnoye). Formerly a German colony, Mariental, with ~600 residents, this AFU strongpoint covered the Komar-Aleksandrovgrad and the Komar-Poddubnoye approaches. Its capture opens routes toward the Dnepropetrovsk Oblast border via Aleksandrovgrad-Voskresenka across a broad front. To secure our right flank, assault operations continue against Zeleny Gai (Zeleny Haiy on the map) and Novokhatskoye.
Following regrouping, we anticipate renewed activity in the southern sector, particularly the Shevchenko-Kamyshevakha area.
Since June 21st, 2025, Russian forces have been dismantling a major AFU defensive node between four rivers (Novonikolaevka-Novopavlovka-Ivanovka-Voskresenka-Komar-Orekhovo). By July 13th, most southern sections (the "East" Group's zone of responsibility) have been cleared. The northern sector (Muravka-Novopavlovka-Filiya-Orekhovo under the "Center" Group's responsibility) remains. Its elimination will complete our advance to Ukraine's administrative borders.
Translation Note: The village now called Karla Marksa in Donetsk Oblast was founded in 1885 as Mariental, a German Mennonite colony meaning "Mary's Valley.” In 1923, Soviet authorities renamed it Karla Marksa after Karl Marx during de-Germanization efforts. After Ukraine's “independence” in 1991, it was officially called Mirnoye meaning "Peaceful,” though locals often kept using the Soviet-era name. Since 2014, the DPR administration has used Karla Marksa again as the official name.
Two to three settlements per day! Go RAF!!
That is very interesting to find out that there used to be Mennonites in that area of The Ukraine.
They are a peace loving group. I wonder when they left The Ukraine?
Excellent reporting once again