"Right now, it is clear that the Russian Army has set its sights on Donetsk Oblast. They have actually been targeting it for quite some time. Since the fall of Avdiivka, they have been slowly but steadily advancing toward Pokrovsk. In the past week, there has also been movement around Vuhledar. Vuhledar is a key position where the southern front transitions into the eastern front for the Ukrainians. The Russians have been trying to capture it for nearly a year and a half. Over the last two weeks, they have managed to get the front moving," Tatsi said on ETV's "Ukraina stuudio" on Sunday, which sums up the major events in Ukraine each week.

"Vuhledar is a critical junction on the front line. Like Avdiivka, it is a heavily fortified city. Its capture would open up the front for the Russian army, similar to what happened after Avdiivka fell. The area around Vuhledar gives the Ukrainians control over the Donetsk-Mariupol railway," Tatsi explained.

The major said the situation is difficult for the Ukrainians because Vuhledar is already surrounded on three sides, and the access routes are likely under Russian fire control. "It's likely that movement can only occur at night or under very poor visibility conditions," he noted.

Tatsi said Russian forces are shelling Ukrainian positions with artillery and the Russian Air Force is dropping glide bombs. The bombardment is carried out sector by sector.

"It is an effective approach. If you cannot pinpoint exactly where your enemy's units are located or entrenched, then the most reliable tactic is to flood the entire frontline with fire and destroy whatever is possible. Even Russia can only manage this in very narrow sectors because it is logistically very challenging. It requires thousands of tons of ammunition, which has to be transported to the front, and Ukraine has shown that it's no longer safe to store such munitions in centralized depots. But in key areas, Russia is still capable of doing this, and it's bringing them slow but steady success," Tatsi explained.

He also mentioned that Russia's stock of artillery is not in great shape.

"Based on public sources, we do not know exactly how well Russia can replenish its artillery, but it is unlikely they can easily replace the quantities they're burning through," Tatsi said.

Glide bombs pose a much greater problem for Ukraine's military because it is almost impossible to defend against them, he added.

"Either Ukraine brings its long-range air defenses very close to the front, where they become vulnerable, or they receive enough air assets from their allies to achieve air superiority near the front lines, but that likely will not happen in the foreseeable future," he said.

Tatsi also added that the destruction of large Russian ammunition depots by Ukraine has not yet had a noticeable impact on the battlefield.

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