‘Setting everything on fire’: Earlier this year, Ukraine challenged Russia with confidence, but now fears abound as their last stronghold is threatened in ‘insane’ charge

The front line in eastern Ukraine is inching west, closer to Kramatorsk, as Russia pushes forward. Iryna Rybakova, a press officer with Ukraine’s 93rd mechanized brigade, has watched the conflict evolve for years and, per CNN, described the past few weeks as “insane.” Kramatorsk is one of the last strongholds in the Donbas region, but its position is growing tenuous. Nearly every bridge in the city is destroyed. Additionally, drones and guided bombs are now a part of daily life.

“The attacks happen dozens of times a day. Dozens of cars, utility buildings, residential buildings, administrative buildings, and garages have been hit; they’re just setting everything on fire,” Rybakova told CNN. She noted that the atmosphere in the city is incredibly tense. 

“Toward the evening and in the morning, almost no one is out and about,” she said. “During the day, there are gunmen everywhere … everyone walks around with a rifle, goes out for a coffee with a rifle, heads to the store with a rifle and so on because drones are everywhere now and you never know. They can strike at any moment.”

Bravado in the face of a giant

The shift in momentum is palpable. Per the outlet, Kyiv had successfully liberated territory back in the spring. They even managed to surprise Russia with a long-range attack striking St. Petersburg in June. Now, however, Ukraine finds itself increasingly on the back foot. This change in fortune comes as diplomatic efforts have struggled to find a clear path forward. 

CNBC reported that President Trump and Russian President Putin recently discussed the conflict over a phone call, after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the call was “constructive and very candid,” and that Trump expressed a desire for the war to end “as soon as possible.” Despite these discussions, the fighting on the ground remains relentless.

Jennie Olmsted, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, explained to CNN that while a rapid breakthrough is not necessarily on the horizon, Russia’s slow, grinding progress is a major concern. “(The Russians) are conducting continued infiltration missions and are slowly making progress towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and are advancing in Kostyantynivka, but at a really slow pace,” she said. 

This slow pace is taking a massive toll on both sides, per the outlet. Western intelligence estimates suggest that Russia is losing approximately 40,000 troops per month, which is a staggering rate of attrition.

CNN reported that the conflict is currently focused on the so-called fortress belt, which consists of four industrial cities that have long served as the backbone of Ukraine’s eastern defenses: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka. These cities provide a natural barrier that protects the more vulnerable, flat plains to the west. 

If this line were to break, the concern is that Russian forces could advance much deeper into Ukraine with greater speed. Unfortunately, this belt has been reportedly eroding for years. Kostyantynivka has been effectively lost as a stronghold, and the infrastructure in nearby cities like Bakhmut and Pokrovsk has been left in ruins after months or years of heavy fighting.

Additionally, the human cost of these operations is devastating. According to Al Jazeera, Thursday’s Russian strikes across Ukraine have resulted in at least 11 deaths, with attacks occurring in Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Dnipro. In the city of Sumy, a jet-powered drone strike on a shopping center killed three people, including three children, according to Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reportedly condemned the attacks on economic infrastructure. He stated on X, “This is no coincidence, but part of Moscow’s systematic terror campaign against American businesses and economic interests.”

In response to the constant bombardment, Ukraine has ramped up its own long-range drone strikes, per Al Jazeera. Ukrainian forces claimed to have hit critical gas plants in Russia’s Arctic region, a strike that traveled more than 3,000 kilometers. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed the attack on X, stating, “For the first time! Deepest strike of the war: Ukrainian SOF hit critical Russian plants more than 3,000 km away.”

Despite these long-range operations, the situation in Kramatorsk remains precarious. Rybakova told CNN, “There’s shelling here every day. Guided bombs, a massive barrage, eight at a time,” she said. “Just last night, they bombed the house where I used to live. We moved out of there a few months ago and it’s just completely destroyed there now.” 

The residents who remain reportedly fear this is part of a broader plan by Moscow. As Olmsted posited, “They are setting conditions and preparing the battle space for offenses against Sloviansk,” adding that the goal is to “degrade Ukrainian logistics and defenses in the area.”