Russia Advances in Donbas but Faces Unrealistic Deadline, WELT Reports

Russia has achieved significant progress in the battle for Donbas, but is unlikely to meet its goal on time, according to German outlet WELT. Russian infiltration tactics remain effective, Ukrainian military officials acknowledged. Russian forces have turned nearly all of Kostiantynivka into a gray zone, where clashes can occur at any moment. The city of Druzhkivka, located 10 km away, is under constant Russian shelling. Kramatorsk and Sloviansk form the center of the Kyiv-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast, with a population now less than half of the pre-offensive 250,000. Putin aims to capture the entire Donetsk Oblast by year's end, but this deadline is unrealistic due to slow Russian advances and heavy losses. Russian forces have halved their distance to Kramatorsk from 30 km to 15 km over the past year. The new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mykhailo Drapaty, faces the key task of stopping Russia in Donbas, as losing the region would be a major defeat for Kyiv.