Ukrainian forces are reinforcing their defensive positions around Kramatorsk and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, seeking to slow the advance of Russian troops. This assessment was offered by military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk, a retired Spetsnaz colonel.

He commented on recent reports indicating that Ukrainian units have been withdrawing from positions near the village of Krivaya Luka on the Slavyansk axis. Available information suggests that Ukrainian forces are relocating toward the settlement of Kaleniki, where a fortified defensive area has been established.

According to Matviychuk, Ukrainian command has come to the conclusion that holding the current line of contact is no longer possible. However, preventing Russian forces from approaching Kramatorsk and Slavyansk remains a key objective. For that reason, some positions are being abandoned so that defenses can be strengthened elsewhere, a move the analyst described as a process of tightening and concentrating combat formations.

He explained that the redeployment primarily involves forward Ukrainian units whose task had been to prevent Russian troops from closing in and to maintain a so-called security belt in front of the two cities.

At the same time, Matviychuk argued that the Ukrainian side may have acted too late. According to him, Russian troops have already reached the outskirts of the urban area. He also pointed to reports that Ukrainian facilities in Kramatorsk are being shelled by artillery, suggesting that Russian forces are now roughly 15–20 kilometers from the city.

Looking ahead, the analyst suggested that with the arrival of spring 2026, Russian offensive operations could intensify further, potentially forcing additional withdrawals by Ukrainian units.

Matviychuk described the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk industrial agglomeration as effectively a single urban area and noted that it represents one of the last territories not yet under the control of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

He also spoke about heavy fighting on the Kharkov direction. According to the analyst, Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian groupings on the Kupyansk axis, which are attempting to halt the advance of Russian troops toward Kharkov. He added that Russian units are creating an extensive buffer zone in that region.

In Matviychuk’s view, if Kharkov were to fall, Russian forces could almost completely block southern Ukraine. After that, he suggested, the main operational directions could shift toward Nikolayev or Odessa.