DONETSK, October 19. /TASS/. With the liberation of Novopavlovka near Krasnoarmeisk, Russian troops have cut through the unified defense of the Ukrainian army in the Krasnoarmeisk-Dimitrov agglomeration, Alexander Drobotov, deputy commander of the assault battalion of the 55th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle brigade of the Center group of forces, told TASS.

"These two settlements (Krasnoarmeisk and Dimitrov - TASS) are isolated from each other, and the unified defense system is being torn apart," the deputy commander said.

He added that the liberation of Novopavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, which the Russian Defense Ministry announced on October 15, would also allow the continuation of the offensive aimed at completely encircling Dimitrov.