Russia makes tactical gains in Donbas but unlikely to take all of Donetsk Oblast this year

Russia has made tactical gains in Donbas using infiltration tactics, but a military analyst says Moscow is unlikely to capture all of Donetsk Oblast by year's end. Kostiantynivka has become a gray zone where clashes can erupt anytime, while nearby Druzhkivka faces constant Russian shelling. Russian forces halved their distance to Kramatorsk over the past year, though progress remains slow and costly. Halting Russia's Donbas advance is a key task for new Ukrainian commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. Losing the region would be a severe blow to Kyiv and a major victory for Putin.