Although the Kremlin continues to attack the Donetsk region, its plans for the coming months include opening a new front in northern Ukraine, from the territory of Belarus or the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation.
This information was provided by sources to RBC-Ukraine.
The goal of the capture
Moscow’s primary objective remains the Kramatorsk-Kostiantynivka metropolitan area. Capturing it would allow Vladimir Putin to declare full control over the Donetsk region. The Russian command has repeatedly postponed the timeline for this mission.
“The Russians’ goals for the summer remain unchanged—the complete capture of the Donetsk region, specifically Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk. Initially, Putin was promised this by the end of summer, but the latest promises have been pushed back again—now to the end of the year. At the same time, the enemy will attempt to press forward in the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions,” noted one of the publication’s sources.
Problems with the pace
Rising casualties are slowing the Russian army’s advance. According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in October the Russian army lost 67 soldiers per square kilometer of captured territory, and in April—already 179. At the same time, 60–62% of these losses are irreplaceable.
The recruitment of contract soldiers barely covers the occupiers’ current losses. Therefore, the Kremlin may be preparing a new wave of mobilization, estimated at 100,000 people, as reported by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following meetings with military and intelligence officials.
Characteristic signs are already being observed in Russia itself: Russians are increasingly receiving mobilization orders that oblige them, in the event of…
