Russia prepares main strike on Donbas: Expert names targets

Russia will focus on the Donbas during the summer and autumn. Fully capturing the region remains Russia’s priority goal. This primarily concerns Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Kostiantynivka.

Military expert Ivan Stupak shared this assessment in an interview with Glavred.
According to him, the Kremlin views these specific cities as key to ending the war on its own terms.

«Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Kostiantynivka are the target cities that Russian troops need to capture. Russia cannot imagine ending this war without these cities,» Stupak said.

The expert also highlighted the concentration of Russian troops near Myrnohrad. He estimates that around 106,000 Russian soldiers are currently stationed there, down from nearly 170,000 back in February.

«These figures demonstrate just how high of a priority the Donetsk region remains for Russia,» he said.

At the same time, Stupak notes that Russian forces continue offensive operations on other frontline sectors, particularly in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. However, he attributed this mainly to Russia having sufficient manpower and fewer Ukrainian troops deployed in certain directions.

Situation on the Zaporizhzhia axis

The expert separately commented on the situation on the Zaporizhzhia axis, which he previously identified as one of Russia’s priorities for 2026.

«Zaporizhzhia also remains a major target. Take Stepnohirsk and Huliaipole—Russian troops are pushing there simply because they have the capability,» he explained.
According to Stupak, Russia assembled a strike force to close in on Zaporizhzhia and subject the city to indiscriminate shelling. However, they cannot pull it off.

«Moreover, our military is actually pushing the Russians back from Zaporizhzhia,» the expert added.