Ukraine's 'fortress belt' in Donbas becomes key obstacle to Russian advance

Ukraine's strategic line of cities, known as the "fortress belt" in Donbas, has become the primary barrier to Russia's offensive in the region. This defensive network provides Ukraine a crucial advantage, even as intense attacks inflict high human and infrastructural costs.

The city of Lyman, situated in the northern part of this "fortress belt," continues to face Russian assaults. Approximately 1,000 civilians remain, enduring severe conditions without utilities amidst widespread damage from bombardments and drone warfare. The city's strategic importance lies in its role slowing Russian advances, a function underscored by the personal tragedy of a local resident who lost his mother in an attack and fled the city.

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The city is devastated. You have to go to the central park to have a chance to get a phone signal. And outside, drones are everywhere. We were afraid to go out. But after my mother died, I was even more afraid to stay alone.

Some Donbas cities, like Bakhmut and Pokrovsk, have already fallen after brutal sieges that left them virtually erased. The Ukrainian defense of the "fortress belt" has significantly disrupted Russia's long supply lines stretching towards Crimea. This tenacious defense has consumed substantial Russian resources and manpower, with critics labeling the ongoing conflict a "meat grinder" for Moscow's troops.

Conceived in 2015 after Russia's annexation of Crimea, the "fortress belt" comprises four major cities in the Donetsk region and their surrounding areas. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that the area's geography offers Ukraine a significant defensive edge, making any Russian conquest prohibitively expensive. The ISW suggests that the costs Russia incurred in battles like Bakhmut would appear minor compared to those required to capture this fortress line, assuming Russia could even succeed.

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The costs that Russia has paid in the battle for Bakhmut or in the campaign for Pokrovsk will seem insignificant compared to those necessary to conquer the fortress belt, assuming Russian forces can even achieve this.