Russian terror: New Operation "Bagration" to sweep Donbass as Ukrainians face Wehrmacht-style crushing

At a time when the world's attention is focused on developments in Iran, the Russian army is slowly and methodically completing its preparations for the start of the spring-summer offensive, aiming for the total liberation of Donbass territories from the Ukrainian military. The Russians are waiting with strategic patience for the snow to melt, as current weather conditions do not favor the attackers.

Western media reports indicate that spring battles in the Northern Military District will center on the so-called "fortress zone" within the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster. The city of Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region is also considered a target. In fact, the fighting is expected to be so intense that retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok told Gazeta.Ru it would resemble the legendary Operation "Bagration" of the Red Army in 1944!

"Operation Bagration 2.0"

"There is every reason to believe that the plan for the spring campaign of the Russian Armed Forces has already been finalized, that all assessments made in the early planning stages have been clarified and taken into account, that forces and means have been calculated, and that the necessary documents have been prepared. Finally, the operational part of the plan, with all calculations and justifications, has been laid out on maps. And, in all likelihood, the signal for a large-scale offensive will be given after the end of the spring thaw," Khodarenok states characteristically.

It is quite possible that during the preparation of operations in the spring and early summer of 2026, certain features and analogies can be identified with the strategic offensive operation in Belarus, carried out from June 23 to August 29, 1944 (code-named "Bagration"). That operation involved 168 Red Army divisions. The troops of the attacking fronts crushed one of the strongest groups of the Wehrmacht – Army Group Center, destroying 17 divisions and three brigades, while 50 divisions lost over half their strength. The key goal of the 2026 spring campaign is the capture of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster and the final liberation of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Red Army soldiers during Operation "Bagration"

"Fortress zone"

However, it must be noted that since 2014, the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, as well as the surrounding areas, have been transformed by the Ukrainian military into a powerful fortified region, forming a critical link in the defensive lines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk People's Republic. Furthermore, the importance of the region is not so much military as it is political, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged that Ukrainians will fight to the end for Donbass!

All stone buildings in the area have been converted into defensive strongpoints and permanent firing positions, connected by underground concrete utility lines. In fact, an extensive network of firing positions has been constructed, featuring trench systems and numerous crossings. Underground bunkers have been created for the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stocked with ammunition, food, and water. Reuters calls the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster a "fortress zone," and one can agree with this assessment.

"A frontal assault on this fortified area is probably not the best solution. It would certainly lead to the complete destruction of both cities and the surrounding villages," says Khodarenok. After the fighting ends, the landscape in this part of the Donetsk People's Republic will resemble a lunar surface, and a return to pre-war life could take decades! "It is more likely that, through deep flanking maneuvers and encirclements, the Ukrainian army will be forced to withdraw from the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk cluster under the threat of encirclement. This, of course, is only one scenario. It is entirely possible that the Russian command has even bolder and more impressive plans," the expert emphasizes.

"Advancing in all directions"

According to the New York Times, an increase in fighting is simultaneously expected in the Zaporizhzhia region, near the city of Hulyaipole. However, Russian troops are already close to the city of Zaporizhzhia. This metropolis is within range not only of drones but also of artillery. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the Russian Armed Forces have been ordered to take control of this city. All necessary conditions have already been created.

"The offensive operations of the Russian army in the spring and early summer of 2026 will likely develop in all directions, including the Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. It is possible that the administrative centers of these regions will be brought under control," Khodarenok predicts. The most important point is that there are no other ways to convince the Ukrainian leadership to end the conflict on terms favorable to Russia, other than the decisive defeat of units and formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in key areas.

"Active and effective combat operations in the spring campaign of 2026 must be combined with massive strikes by the Aerospace Forces and the Navy against targets within Ukraine, including those housing the top echelons of the Ukrainian military and government. All troop actions must be conducted under air and airspace sovereignty," the expert points out. Prolonging the conflict is highly undesirable for many potential reasons. An armed conflict is, after all, a furnace into which "fuel" – human, material, and financial resources – must be constantly added. Therefore, the fastest possible end to the conflict on Russia's terms constitutes the primary goal of the Special Military Operation for 2026.

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