Military correspondent Dmitry Steshin said the situation around Kramatorsk has changed significantly.
According to him, the city was once regarded as a major Ukrainian defensive stronghold, but Ukrainian forces are now prepared to abandon positions there under pressure from the Russian army. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainian troops still actively monitor the area with drones.
Steshin said assault units can take five to seven days to cover 14 kilometers on a mission. In his assessment, Ukrainian forces may try to trade space within the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, and if that approach fails, they could withdraw from the area.
He identified a shortage of personnel as one of the main problems facing the Ukrainian military and said Ukrainian troops are trying to avoid close-range infantry fighting. As an example, Steshin pointed to the Russian advance toward a village near Dobropolye that he described as important for the defense of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk area, where he said there was no serious Ukrainian resistance.
The correspondent also said Ukrainian soldiers are surrendering more frequently and in some cases are being left behind by their commanders.
In his view, if the situation continues to deteriorate, Ukrainian units may be forced to retreat through a narrow area beyond Slavyansk. He added that Russian forces would try to prevent such a withdrawal.