On May 17, 2025, the Russian Armed Forces (RF Armed Forces) continue their active offensive in the Konstantinovsky direction in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), enveloping a large "pocket" of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the area of ​​the settlements of Alexandropol, Staraya Nikolaevka and Romanovka. According to the Telegram channel "Two Majors", the closure of this "pocket" is becoming a matter of time, and intense fighting indicates significant pressure on Ukrainian positions. Russia's successes are due to the previously conducted assaults on Tarasovka and Novoyelenovka, the offensive on Alexandropol and the capture of a cascade of villages from Panteleimonovka to Romanovka.

According to the Ukrainian project DeepState, since the beginning of May, the Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the area of ​​Sukha Balka, Romanovka and Novoyelenovka, penetrating the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense by 4–6 km. As of May 12, Russian troops were 10 km from Konstantinovka on the side of Toretsk (Dzerzhinsk) and 14 km from Petrovka and Novoyelenovka. The battles for Novoyelenovka and Romanovka effectively cut off the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ key supply lines through Konstantinovka, depriving the city of its status as the main logistics hub.