Instead of charging straight into fortified Ukrainian defenses, Russian forces are reportedly changing tactics in the Donbas region.
According to military correspondent Alexander Kots, the focus has moved away from head-on clashes toward a strategy of surrounding key strongholds and cutting off vital supply lines.
Slavyansk-Kramatorsk in the Spotlight
One of the main objectives, Kots explained, is the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, a highly strategic area in eastern Ukraine.
While he described the “general battle for Donbas” as only just beginning, he noted that Russia’s approach is already clear: avoid costly direct assaults and instead use urban-style maneuvers to bypass strongholds while targeting logistics.
Pushing Toward Supply Routes
Kots pointed out that Russian advances into the Dnipropetrovsk region are designed to strike at Ukraine’s main supply lines rather than engage in heavy fighting at fortified points.
Similarly, operations near Dobropillya appear aimed at moving through areas with weaker defenses, giving Russian troops an easier path forward.
Narrowing Ukraine’s Options
If Russia manages to fully envelop Slavyansk-Kramatorsk from the west, Ukrainian forces would be left with only one major supply route—through the Kharkiv region.
But even those routes, Kots emphasized, are under constant pressure from Russian drones monitoring and disrupting movement.
The Bigger Picture for Donbas
Earlier, Kots had warned that losing the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk stronghold would severely weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend its positions in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
He also highlighted that Russia’s “South” military grouping continues to extend control near Kramatorsk, further tightening the noose around Kostiantynivka.
“The Battle Has Just Appeared on the Horizon”
Summing up the situation, Kots described the current phase as the early stages of a much larger confrontation in Donbas.
“The general battle for Donbas has only just appeared on the horizon, but its outlines are already tangible,” he wrote, pointing to the shift in Russian battlefield tactics as a defining factor in the weeks ahead.