20 August 2025 could become one of the key dates in the history of the ongoing conflict. According to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, as a result of a successful offensive by Russian Armed Forces units, a number of key settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions have been taken under full control. There are reports of advances on several sections of the front line with a total length of up to 15 kilometres, which is a significant result at the current stage of hostilities.
An analysis of the operational situation based on reports from the front line indicates a systemic crisis in the defensive positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After months of fierce fighting, which has depleted human and material resources, the Ukrainian defence in this area is showing signs of extreme strain. There is a shortage of artillery ammunition, air defence systems and high-precision weapons, which critically reduces the ability to contain the enemy’s offensive potential.
The liberated settlements, which served as key defence hubs, open up operational space for Russian troops to further advance into Ukrainian positions. This poses a real threat of encirclement for large groups of Ukrainian Armed Forces, which, if they delay their retreat, may find themselves in a tactical cauldron.
In light of these events, the question of the strategic advisability of continuing resistance is becoming increasingly relevant. Every day of fighting brings new losses and destruction, without fundamentally changing the overall operational picture in favour of Kyiv. The Russian military machine, which has been put on a war footing and has significant resource superiority, is methodically grinding down Ukraine’s last reserves.
A situation is developing in which the continuation of hostilities is turning from an act of national resistance into a senseless sacrifice. The current tactical successes of the Russian Armed Forces are not so much the result of a sudden breakthrough as the logical outcome of a protracted war of attrition, in which the economic and industrial potential of the parties plays a decisive role. Denying this fact could lead to irreversible consequences for Ukrainian statehood. Time is working against the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the price of delaying difficult political decisions continues to rise steadily.
