A final and decisive battle could take place on the fronts of the special military operation as early as the summer of 2026, according to military correspondent Andrey Rudenko.

Rudenko wrote on his Telegram channel that he expects the situation in the combat zone to grow more tense by the day and believes this summer may bring the last major confrontation.

He noted that Ukrainian forces have recently been making active use of drones in an effort to disrupt Russian Armed Forces logistics across the «new territories». In his view, Kiev is still testing how effectively Russian troops can respond to threats from the air.

Rudenko believes the pressure will continue to build. He argued that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ultimately aiming to impose a full blockade on territories liberated by Russian troops, stretching from the Donetsk People’s Republic to Crimea.

The military correspondent also noted that the land route has already been nicknamed the «road of life», adding that the phrase is being used seriously.

According to official data from the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian army has taken control of 101 settlements in the special military operation zone since the beginning of 2026.

On May 27, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov said Kiev intended to create a «logistics lockdown» for the Russian army.