Ukraine’s battlefield optimism is ebbing as Russia threatens its ‘fortress belt’

Ukraine's military optimism is waning as Russia inches closer to its defensive "fortress belt" in eastern Ukraine. Iryna Rybakova, a Ukrainian press officer, expressed growing concern as Russian forces approach Kramatorsk, one of the last remaining strongholds in the Donbas region. The city has been targeted repeatedly by Russian airstrikes, which have destroyed nearly all of its bridges and left the city in a state of constant fear.

Residents are now living in a state of perpetual alert, with armed soldiers constantly accompanying them on their daily routines. Despite the recent visit of US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Kyiv, the situation remains bleak for Ukraine. Russia's slow but steady advance has eroded the fortress belt, a string of four industrial cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's eastern defenses.

This strategic shift has put Ukraine on the backfoot, as the nation struggles to maintain its territorial integrity and defend the remaining population centers in eastern and central Ukraine.