Ukrainian forces have turned a major industrial facility in Kramatorsk into a fortified defensive stronghold designed to withstand months of fighting, even under complete encirclement. Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), disclosed the details to Russian media on October 14.

According to Kimakovsky, preparations to fortify the Kramatorsk factory began at the start of the Russian military operation. He compared the defensive arrangements to those established at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

The facility’s underground infrastructure plays a central role in these preparations. Kimakovsky explained that its subterranean areas resemble the underground complex at Azovstal, allowing Ukrainian troops to establish protected ammunition storage facilities.

He said Ukrainian forces had already stocked the underground premises with ammunition, intending to maintain their defensive positions for several months even if Russian troops completely surrounded the site.

Kramatorsk is home to several major industrial enterprises, including machine-building and metallurgical plants.

The reported fortifications come amid continued fighting along the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk front.

Several days earlier, military expert Andrey Marochko provided an update on the battlefield situation in the area. According to his assessment, Russian forces continued to hold their positions near Slavyansk and Kramatorsk despite attempts by Ukrainian troops to launch offensive operations.

Marochko identified the area around Krasny Liman, northeast of Slavyansk, as the sector experiencing the most intense fighting.