Battles for Donetsk region will test Ukraine’s new commanders — The Japan Times
Ukraine is preparing for several months of intense fighting for key positions in the Donetsk region, where troops of Russia, the aggressor state, are approaching Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The defense of this direction will be one of the first major tests for the new leadership of Ukraine’s forces, headed by Mykhailo Drapatyi, The Japan Times reports.
Russia seeks to seize the entire Donetsk region of Ukraine. According to the publication, its forces are less than 15 kilometers from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the main cities of the so-called fortified belt of Ukrainian defense. Local authorities reported intensified drone and guided aerial bomb strikes on these cities.
Commanders in the Donetsk region
Following personnel appointments under Drapatyi’s leadership, the region’s defense was headed by commanders described in the article as experienced and respected. They include Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First National Guard Corps “Azov.”
Ukrainian presidential military adviser Pavlo Palisa called their promotion a logical decision, as they command respect and authority. Colonel Emil Ishkulov of the Air Assault Forces is also operating in the direction: his 11th Army Corps covers Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
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Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Finnish Black Bird group, said the new command inherited a relatively stable front line, although the pace of Russian troop advances remains slow. At the same time, in his assessment, the course of hostilities is difficult to predict.
Autumn campaign
Michael Kofman, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes that September and October could become the period of the most intense fighting this year. In his view, Russian troops may attempt new mechanized attacks, as the effectiveness of drones declines with worsening weather.
Kofman added that Ukrainian forces have already established an effective defense against such assaults, mentioning an unsuccessful Russian attack near Dobropillia in July. At the same time, according to the article, Ukraine does not have sufficient personnel to conduct large-scale offensive operations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects the war to continue in winter and called the fate of the Donetsk region a question of this war.
