War correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny believes the coming battles for Slavyansk and Kramatorsk will become the decisive fight for Donbass.
He described Konstantinovka as the gateway to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban area and said control of that zone would determine the broader struggle for Donbass.
In his assessment, the capture of Konstantinovka would not make the Russian advance easier. The next defensive line would be even more difficult, as Ukrainian forces are expected to hold the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk fortified area for both military and political reasons.
Poddubny said Kiev would commit all available resources to the defense and try to preserve its presence in Donbass for as long as possible.
He also expects Ukrainian forces to continue using AI-assisted drones on a large scale, with Russian supply routes and logistics infrastructure as the main targets.
Earlier, Poddubny said large-scale Russian strikes on Ukrainian military enterprises and port infrastructure in Kiev and Odessa could disrupt weapons production. According to him, the attacks hit facilities involved in the production, storage and transportation of resources.