Key facts
- Slovyansk and Kramatorsk are the largest cities in the Donbas region still under full Ukrainian control.
- Police have begun forced evacuations of families with children from the worst affected areas.
- Russia controls almost all of Luhansk region and about 80% of Donetsk region.
- The number of civilians wounded in Russian attacks on Kramatorsk and Slovyansk increased from 70 in June to 212 in August.
- Sixteen people died in June, 20 in July, and 15 in August due to Russian attacks.
- Russian glide bomb launches increased from 40 in June to 109 in July and 92 in August.
Ukrainian police are urging civilians to evacuate Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, two of the largest cities still under Ukrainian control in the eastern Donbas region, as Russian forces intensify their assault. The neighboring cities, along with Kostyantynivka to the south, form part of Ukraine's "fortress belt" of defensive lines.
Russia's objective to capture the entire Donbas, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk regions, is a key goal of its invasion. Russian forces already control nearly all of Luhansk and approximately 80% of Donetsk. For months, the areas around Kramatorsk and Slovyansk have been the primary focus of Russian ground offensives, with capturing them seen as a potential step towards advancing further west.
Civilians are facing intense strikes from drones and glide bombs, with many streets now covered by anti-drone netting. According to Ukrainian police data studied by BBC Monitoring, the number of civilians wounded in Russian attacks on the two cities rose from 70 in June to 212 in August. Fatalities also increased, with 16 deaths in June, 20 in July, and 15 in August. Residential buildings and infrastructure have sustained significant destruction.
The number of glide bombs deployed by Russia has also seen a sharp increase, from 40 in June to 109 in July and 92 in August. On August 25, nine glide bombs hit Kramatorsk, with seven striking civilian apartment blocks and wounding 24 people, including an infant. Two days later, seven glide bombs targeted the city again, with five hitting Slovyansk.
Kramatorsk currently serves as the headquarters for the Donetsk regional administration, a role previously held by Donetsk city before its capture by Russian-backed separatists in 2014. Reports indicate that the fate of Ukrainian-controlled areas in Donbas was a significant topic during recent discussions between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite past suggestions from Witkoff that might align with Russian claims to the region, Zelensky remains resolute in refusing to withdraw troops.
President Zelensky stated that Putin has set a deadline for his generals to complete the occupation of Donbas by the end of the year, with Putin's primary objective on the front line remaining Kostyantynivka-Slovyansk. In response to the escalating military pressure, Zelensky has established two new taskforces, led by generals Andriy Biletsky and Denys Prokopenko, to bolster the defense of the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas. One unnamed Ukrainian general described the ongoing conflict as potentially the main battle of the current and next year.