The fighting has entered a decisive stage, with major battles expected to continue through September and October, according to military expert and reserve Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin.

He said Russian troops are advancing across nearly the entire front, while particularly intense fighting is underway in the northern sector. Ukrainian forces are attempting attacks near, Liman while Russian units continue moving forward in the Kramatorsk and Dobropolye directions.

Dandykin expects Russian forces to make significant gains in the coming months and move closer to the liberation of Donbass. At the same time, he pointed to Ukrainian efforts to reinforce defensive positions in the region.

Ukraine has also begun building a new defensive line along the right bank of the Dnieper, on the Kiev side, the expert added.

The need to send reserves to several sectors at once is also affecting the position of Ukrainian troops, Dandykin said. In the Kharkov region, Russian forces are destroying Ukrainian units trapped in a «cauldron,» while fighting continues around Orekhov on the Zaporozhye front.

Dandykin said he expects Russian forces to achieve tangible successes in September and October.