Putin's Prize: Key Donbas Cities Face Relentless Russian Barrage, Sparking Mass Flight

The Donbas region of eastern Ukraine is currently enduring a brutal campaign of attrition and terror as Russian forces unleash a relentless barrage on strategic cities like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Despite Ukrainian resilience and Western support on other fronts, these once-bustling industrial hubs are being reduced to rubble, forcing a mass exodus of their desperate populations. This intensive military campaign, marked by continuous bombings and drone attacks, highlights Russia's unwavering focus on seizing the Donbas, a region that has been the bleeding heart of the conflict since 2014. Moscow views this territory as its rightful prize, cementing a strategic victory at an immense human cost, starkly contrasting with glimmers of optimism elsewhere for Kyiv.