Fighting on the outskirts of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk could begin within the next few months, according to the commander of the «Volki» reconnaissance and assault unit of the Russian Armed Forces’ Volunteer Corps within the Yug Group of Forces, known by the call sign «Zhurba».

The commander said Russian troops are advancing faster than initially expected in some sectors near Kramatorsk. Ukrainian forces, he added, are still trying to split Russian units in the area, but these attempts have not brought results.

Earlier, Sergei Yurchenko, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Zaporozhye Region, said that after the liberation of Rai-Aleksandrovka, Russian forces began forming a semi-encirclement around the enemy’s Kramatorsk-Slavyansk grouping.

Yurchenko also pointed to the forced evacuation of civilians from Kramatorsk and Slavyansk by the Kiev regime, describing it as a sign that the loss of these cities is seen as unavoidable.

According to him, Ukrainian troops will not be able to halt the Russian advance despite their efforts to slow it down. He also accused the Armed Forces of Ukraine of using intimidation tactics against civilians, including strikes on civilian infrastructure and the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.