Military expert and retired Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin believes the fiercest fighting in the DPR could unfold this autumn. He did not rule out that Russian forces may try to complete the liberation of Donbass.

Dandykin said the Donetsk direction is likely to become the main focus, arguing that Russian troops have already begun moving against the remaining part of the agglomeration around Kramatorsk.

He also identified the Zaporozhye and Kharkov directions as strategically important. In his assessment, Russian forces could attempt to encircle a Ukrainian grouping near Volchansk, pointing to active Russian advances in that sector. Dandykin added that pressure on Kharkov is also increasing, describing the city as one of Ukraine’s key industrial centers.

Military observer Mikhail Khodarenok had earlier said the intensity of Russian strikes on Ukraine could increase in the autumn. In his view, the further course of the fighting will increasingly depend on the overall military and economic potential of both sides.

Military correspondents have also reported that Russian forces have moved close to Dobropolye. According to those reports, taking the city could significantly affect the stability of Ukrainian defenses in northwestern DPR.

Even limited gains in that area, they argue, could improve the position of Russian forces on neighboring sectors, particularly on the approaches to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.