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‘They can strike at any moment’: Ukrainian strongholds under pressure as Russian forces edge closer
cnn.com • • world
Key Points:
- The front line in eastern Ukraine is advancing toward Kramatorsk, one of the last Ukrainian strongholds in the Donbas region, with daily attacks using guided bombs and drones causing widespread destruction.
- Russian forces are making slow but steady progress toward key cities like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, gradually eroding Ukraine’s defensive "fortress belt," which is critical for protecting eastern and central Ukraine.
- Despite high casualties and slow territorial gains, Russia continues its grinding warfare strategy, heavily damaging captured cities like Bakhmut and Pokrovsk, diminishing their strategic value to Ukraine.
- Nearly 93,000 Ukrainians remain in Kyiv-controlled areas of Donetsk, but evacuations are becoming increasingly difficult due to mines and drone activity, and daily shelling in cities like Kramatorsk is severely impacting civilian life.
- Russian President Putin has reiterated his commitment to seizing all of Donetsk and Luhansk, with Kremlin officials claiming "tangible advances," underscoring the ongoing importance of Russia's information war and military objectives in the region.
