Russian Forces Prepare for General Battle for Donbas

Russian forces are preparing to encircle and disrupt supply lines in Donbas rather than storm fortified Ukrainian positions head-on, military correspondent Alexander Kots said.

The Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration has become a serious objective for Moscow, Kots wrote in his Telegram channel. He noted that while the “general battle for Donbas” is only beginning to take shape, the strategy is already clear: instead of frontal assaults, Russian forces are applying urban-style tactics of bypassing strongholds and cutting logistics.

According to Kots, the advance into the Dnipropetrovsk region is intended to strike at Ukraine’s main supply lines, circumventing fortified defenses. He added that the Russian push near Dobropillya serves the same function, as it enables movement through areas lacking strong fortifications.

Once the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration is enveloped from the west, Ukrainian forces would only be able to rely on supply routes through Kharkiv region. However, these routes are already under constant surveillance and disruption by Russian drones, Kots emphasized.

Earlier, Kots stressed that the loss of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk stronghold would leave the Ukrainian Armed Forces with no chance to hold their positions in the Donetsk People’s Republic. He added that Russia’s “South” military grouping continues to expand its control near Kramatorsk, tightening the encirclement around Kostiantynivka.

“The general battle for Donbas has only just appeared on the horizon, but its outlines are already tangible,” Kots wrote, underlining the shift in Russian tactics.