Reserve Captain First Rank and military expert Vasily Dandykin said the fiercest fighting is now taking place in central Dobropolye, as well as in the southern and northeastern parts of the city.

According to Dandykin, Ukrainian forces recently tried to break through the encirclement in the area but failed. He believes the battle for control of the last major agglomeration in the DPR is moving into a decisive phase.

The expert told Lenta.ru that the failed attempt to break the ring around Dobropolye could have broader consequences. In his view, if the city comes under Russian control, Ukrainian forces could face growing logistical difficulties, including with ammunition supplies from the Dnepropetrovsk region to the wider agglomeration.

Dandykin also argued that the further course of the fighting depends not only on the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, but also on developments around Krasny Liman. He believes appeals from the DPR authorities to civilians in these cities may indicate that a more active phase of combat is approaching.

In his assessment, the main developments on the front are likely to unfold during the autumn and winter.

Earlier, military expert Alexey Anpilogov said Russian forces had increased the pace of their advance in the special military operation zone. According to him, 52 settlements came under Russian control in September, compared with 91 over the entire summer.