Zelenskyy Reboots ‘Fortress Belt’ Defences as Russian Troops Push Into Key City

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed two of the country’s most prominent commanders to oversee the defence of the “fortress belt”—a chain of industrial cities in the eastern Donetsk region. The move comes as Russian forces intensify pressure on three critical strongholds. Zelenskyy announced the changes during a visit to the frontline. Andrii Biletskyi, leader of the Third Army Corps, and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First Corps (Azov), will now head new military groupings. Both units are known for using Nato-style tactics and modern technology. The decision follows the dismissal of General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was criticised for his “Soviet-era” micromanagement. Ukrainian military analyst Mykola Bielieskov called the appointments “the right move,” saying they give Ukraine’s new commander in chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, more room for strategic planning. Robert Brovdi, head of Ukraine’s drone forces, praised the change as a step towards “network-centric warfare,” adding: “This is exactly what ‘Smart War’ is.” Russian troops have been pushing deeper into the city of Kostiantynivka, according to the open-source mapping group Deep State. Ukrainian forces are reportedly clearing them from houses, basements, and ruins. Russia is also stepping up air and artillery attacks on the nearby cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, preparing for a possible offensive. In the past day, Ukraine struck 16 sites inside Russia, including oil facilities, airfields, a missile unit, and logistics hubs, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday. One strike set fire to a Lukoil refinery in the city of Kstovo, which can process 125 million barrels of oil annually. Long-range Ukrainian drones also burned down a Wildberries warehouse in the Tambov region, according to Russian authorities. Meanwhile, a Russian guided bomb attack seriously damaged a combined heat and power plant in the southern city of Kherson, said Ukraine’s energy company Naftogaz. The full extent of the damage will be assessed once it is safe to do so. Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Thursday, a Reuters witness reported. Around the same time, Russia launched ballistic missiles at an industrial facility in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, injuring two people. This comes after Bloomberg reported that Moscow was considering increasing missile strikes on Kyiv and other critical infrastructure, concluding that peace talks had reached a dead end. Ukraine has repeatedly offered ceasefires, but the Kremlin continues to demand total control of the Donbas region. In a separate move, Zelenskyy awarded Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Freedom. Musk’s SpaceX provides Starlink satellite internet to Ukraine’s military, but has restricted its use over Russian territory. Zelenskyy hopes to change that policy so Ukrainian weapons can use Starlink for navigation. Ukraine also freed 10 Russian prisoners of war, Russia’s human rights commissioner said on Wednesday. On Monday, Russia released 10 Ukrainian prisoners who had been thought missing. Finally, a pro-Russian hacker group claimed responsibility for a cyber-attack on Digdir, Norway’s government digital services agency. The denial-of-service (DDoS) attack tried to block online services, including a single-login system for public services. A Digdir spokesperson said services remained available “practically all the time.” The group, called Server Killers, said it attacked because Norway renewed its security cooperation with Ukraine on 23 August.