Russia focuses summer offensive on two key directions — military expert

Military analyst Vasyl Pekhno said this on Espreso TV.

“Russia is primarily focusing its offensive efforts on the Donetsk region, particularly on Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk. During this summer offensive campaign, Russian occupiers will try to seize these cities. Their goal is to reach Kostiantynivka to secure a direct route to Sloviansk, cut off the salient near Siversk, and attempt to encircle Pokrovsk. So far, this remains a very difficult task for them. The narrative about Russian units being positioned at the border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions has been inflated for months, but they don’t just need to be there, they need to break into the Dnipropetrovsk region and cut the Pavlohrad-Pokrovsk highway,” said military analyst Vasyl Pekhno.

According to Pekhno, the invadingRussian forces plan to start urban combat in Kupiansk this winter.

“Their main priority this summer is Donbas, followed by Kupiansk. The Russians have ambitions to push the offensive in the Kupiansk area. Everything else — Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions — may serve as diversionary directions. The logic for the Russians is to enter Kupiansk before winter and launch urban fighting,” he added.

• On June 18, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that 186 combat clashes took place on the Russian-Ukrainian front over the past day, June 17. Ukrainian defense forces repelled 57 Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk sector.