Russian forces from the Tsentr group of troops are continuing their advance on the southern arc of the Druzhkovka-Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration.

Military expert and Major General Vladimir Popov said Russian troops were now pressing forward in the area of Dobropolye, seeking to drive in from the south, bypass Druzhkovka and reach the rear of the entire Ukrainian grouping. In his view, a similar maneuver will also be carried out from the north. He believes the decisive battle for Donbass will begin only after both flanks are in place.

Popov said Russian units may not attempt to take Druzhkovka directly. Instead, he suggested, they could bypass both the city and the wider agglomeration in order to position artillery and UAVs on the heights in the rear, disrupting supply lines to the fortified area.

He also argued that a frontal assault on defenses built up by the Ukrainian side over three to five years was virtually impossible. In his assessment, such an attack would lead only to heavy losses without delivering a meaningful result.

According to Popov, Russian forces will have to besiege these fortified urban areas instead. He said this could be achieved by cutting the cities off from supply. In his view, the coming battle will be difficult, but will ultimately end in a Russian victory.