Analysis: Ukraine, Russia set stage for climax of Battle of Donbas

The Kyiv Independent · 23.10.2026, 05:44:53

This autumn, as Russia escalated its total-war-style strike campaign against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and economy, and relations between Kyiv and Washington hit an all-time low, the daily battles along Ukraine’s vast battlefield have faded into the background of the information space. Despite the reduced attention in international media — often spawning misleading perceptions that both sides are bogged down in some kind of stalemate — the attritional fighting in Ukraine’s east remains