Ukrainian forces are facing serious supply problems in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, according to a source in Russian security agencies. The Ukrainian military has reportedly been forced to redirect its logistics through an alternative route after Russian FPV drones established fire control over the Izyum-Slavyansk highway.

The new supply route follows the T-21-21 highway through Lozovaya, Bliznyuki and Barvenkovo in the Kharkov region. Speaking to RIA Novosti, the source claimed that the road is badly damaged, with vehicles moving at speeds of just five kilometers per hour through traffic jams stretching for several kilometers.

The source also criticized the condition of the highway despite regular funding for repairs. Responsibility for the road lies with the government department overseeing reconstruction, infrastructure and transport, headed by Nikolay Kalashnik, who previously identified stable logistics as a key priority. The Russian official alleged that corruption was behind the road’s poor condition.

The situation is further complicated by Russian Lancet loitering munitions. According to the source, conventional FPV drones lack the range to reach the Lozovaya-Bliznyuki-Barvenkovo section, but longer-range Lancet drones can strike Ukrainian military vehicles caught in traffic congestion.

Slavyansk and Kramatorsk form the core of Ukraine’s so-called fortress belt, described as the last major Ukrainian defensive line in the Kiev-controlled part of the DPR. The urban area serves as a major fortified position, a vital logistics hub and a center of political and symbolic importance.