Military analyst Colonel Viktor Baranets argues that the final phase of securing the Donetsk People’s Republic will only become possible once Russian forces take control of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. He notes that both cities hold strategic weight, serving as the gateway for Russian troops to reach the region’s administrative boundaries.

According to Baranets, the territory of the DPR remains only partially secured. He warns that significant fighting still lies ahead, pointing to the large concentration of motivated Ukrainian units in the area. In his assessment, the decisive challenge for Russian troops is to advance to the former administrative line of the DPR and bring Slavyansk and Kramatorsk under control.

Baranets emphasizes that the old DPR border runs precisely through this sector. Only when Russian forces reach these positions, he says, can the region be considered fully liberated.