Russia Aims at Ukraine's 'Fortress Ring'

(CLO) Russia may be aiming to control Kostyantynivka, the southernmost city of Ukraine's "fortress ring", in a long-term military campaign to increase pressure on Kiev.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has redeployed troops to Toretsk and east of Pokrovsk to support the operation.

ISW believes that Russia may be pursuing a multi-year plan to control the entire “fortress ring” in Donetsk province. Analysts say that with manpower shortages and increasing equipment losses, Russia will find it difficult to sustain a large-scale military campaign on multiple fronts in Ukraine for a long time.

Two Russian soldiers prepare to fire towards Ukrainian positions. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry press service

Ukraine's "Fortress Ring" stretches 50 kilometers through the cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka, forming Kiev's key defense line in eastern Ukraine. As of April 2024, these areas are located between 12 and 30 kilometers from the front line.

Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets said Russia had mobilized several units, including motorized rifle regiments from the 20th and 150th Divisions, and the 163rd Tank Regiment, to Toretsk and east of Pokrovsk.

According to Mashovets, the move was aimed at isolating and destroying Ukrainian forces defending south of Kostyantynivka, and then paving the way for a coordinated attack on the city from multiple directions.

As of February 16, ISW assessed that Russian forces were close to Kostyantynivka, with units operating at Vozdvyzhenka, about 22 km south of the city, and Toretsk, about 11 km away. ISW predicted that Russian troops could reach the southern outskirts of Kostyantynivka by May this year.

However, ISW also assessed that although the Russian military's advances put significant pressure on the "fortress ring", they are unlikely to capture the entire area by 2025 or even 2026.

Former spokeswoman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iuliia Mendel, wrote on the X social network that Russia could focus its attack on Kostyantynivka in the spring-summer of 2025. She noted that in December and January, Russian forces advanced rapidly to the south and southwest of Pokrovsk, but since February, this progress has slowed down.

Political analyst Giorgi Revishvili also commented that the Russian army may not attack Pokrovsk directly but instead try to cut off supply lines, especially the T0504 highway, to weaken Ukraine's defensive position.

Ngoc Anh (according to Newsweek, ISW)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nga-quyet-tam-kiem-soat-vanh-dai-phao-dai-cua-ukraine-post334988.html