Human cost of Putin’s war emerging in ‘death fields’ of Russian soldiers in Dobropillia (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,700)

Every day, the Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground. Subscribe for free here to get the full text delivered to your inbox. Battle for Dobropillia — huge Russian losses and the brutal destruction of the city. A possible explanation for inaccuracies in Russian maps — they are lying to improve their position in ceasefire negotiations. The Wall Street Journal said Elon Musk came up with the idea of cutting off Ukraine’s military Starlink. How the Starshield restriction has affected the front line. Maps of the day — a Russian death field between Rodynske and Dobropillia, plus an overall view of the front. Videos of the day — the funeral of five children killed by Russian bombing; a driver in Kyiv burned alive after a drone strike; war criminal and liar Sergei Lavrov speaks about the bombing of Ukraine; a cat alerted an operator to approaching Russians; an interceptor drone shot down a Geran. The battle for Dobropillia in images and maps — huge Russian losses and the brutal destruction of the city. The heaviest fighting is currently taking place on this section of the front. Following its defeat in the north near Lyman, the Russian command is now trying here, in the south, to bypass the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, since a direct attack from the east has also failed. The Kremlin has currently deployed its largest forces to the area north-east of Pokrovsk, where it is trying to break through Ukrainian defences. Described this way, it sounds highly technical. People can detach emotionally from information written in this manner and follow events merely as arrows on maps. In reality, however, the arrows conceal tragedies that are very difficult to imagine. This week, visual evidence emerged that may better convey the scale of human suffering and losses on both sides. The first shows the city of Dobropillia itself from the air after Russian bombardment that is slowly consuming it. To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login