Iryna Rybakova reports on the intensifying Russian pressure and daily drone barrages facing the Ukrainian stronghold of Kramatorsk.
Iryna Rybakova, a press officer for Ukraine’s 93rd mechanized brigade, reports that the Russian military is making steady progress toward the city of Kramatorsk. The city, a key stronghold in the Donbas region, is facing daily barrages of guided bombs and drones, which have destroyed many of the city's bridges and residential buildings.
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Rybakova noted that residents and soldiers now carry rifles almost everywhere due to the constant threat of drone strikes. Russia is currently chipping away at the "fortress belt," a defensive line of four industrial cities. While the city of Kostyantynivka has been effectively lost as a stronghold, Russia continues to slow, grinding warfare to seize the remaining cities. This strategy often leaves infrastructure mostly destroyed by the time Moscow gains full control. Russia's goals include seizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. While the administration of the Donetsk regional military has reported that nearly 93,000 civilians remain in Kyiv-controlled areas, life is becoming increasingly difficult as the area becomes heavily mined and saturated with drones. The city of Kramatorsk, which previously served as a strategic rear point for troops, is now under constant shelling, forcing residents to prepare for a future Russian offensive against Sloviansk.