Military expert and retired colonel Viktor Baranets believes that the liberation of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk remains one of the key objectives of Russia’s special military operation.
According to him, Ukrainian forces have turned both cities into major fortified areas. Baranets said that if Russian forces move to storm them, the main priority will be to reduce personnel losses as much as possible.
He also noted that the DPR and LPR are included in the Russian Constitution, adding that Russian troops on this part of the front are effectively fighting for Russian land, which he said motivates the personnel.
Baranets believes that after control is established over the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, further stages of the operation may follow. Among the possible directions, he named Odessa, Nikolayev, Sumy and the Dnepropetrovsk Region.
The expert also said Ukraine is already actively preparing Odessa for defense. According to him, a system of engineering fortifications is being built around the city, including anti-tank ditches and barbed-wire barriers.
Baranets added that these defensive preparations have been underway for a long time, as Kiev fears further Russian advances after the fighting in Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions is completed.