Ukrainian police have begun forced evacuations of families with children from Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, the largest cities still fully under Ukrainian control in the Donbas. The order follows a sharp rise in Russian glide bomb and drone strikes that killed at least 51 civilians across the two cities between June and August.
Why are police ordering civilians to leave Slovyansk and Kramatorsk now?
Donetsk police official Pavlo Dyachenko stated that security conditions have deteriorated to the point that remaining in the cities poses an immediate threat to life. The two neighbouring cities form the core of Ukraine's eastern "fortress belt" defensive line. In the most exposed districts, families with children are already being removed by force. Dyachenko described the measure as the only remaining option to protect residents. He noted that Slovyansk used to be hit by glide bombs roughly once a week but now faces them almost every day. This escalation has made daily life untenable for those who remain, with police viewing the forced removals as essential to prevent further loss of life in areas where Ukrainian control is most directly threatened. "This is the only way to save your life," Dyachenko said, because security has deteriorated so much that staying is no longer viable. The cities lie in Donetsk region, where Russia now controls almost 80 percent of the territory. The police view the removals as a direct response to the daily glide-bomb threat that has turned routine movement and shelter into high-risk activities.
How have Russian strikes on the fortress cities changed since June?
Ukrainian police data show glide bomb launches rose from 40 in June to 109 in July and 92 in August. Civilian injuries in the two cities increased from 70 in June to 212 in August. Sixteen people were killed in June, 20 in July and 15 in August. On 25 August alone, nine glide bombs struck Kramatorsk, seven of them hitting apartment blocks and wounding 24 people including a two-month-old infant. Two days later, seven more glide bombs hit Kramatorsk and five struck Slovyansk. Residential housing and infrastructure have both suffered very significant destruction from these repeated attacks, according to Dyachenko. The data, studied by the BBC, illustrate a sustained intensification of strikes that has directly affected civilian areas. The jump in glide bomb numbers coincided with a clear rise in both injuries and deaths across the summer months. These figures cover only Slovyansk and Kramatorsk; the southern city of Kostyantynivka is also part of the same defensive line but reported separately.
What makes glide bombs particularly dangerous in urban areas?
Glide bombs are fitted with winglets that allow them to travel several kilometres after release. Most weigh 250 kg or 500 kg, though larger 1 500 kg versions have been recorded. Because they arrive silently and in salvos, residents report being unable to take effective cover once the first detonation occurs. Volunteer John Auckland Abbey described them as "silent killers" that continue to land after the initial strike. Dyachenko called the devastation they cause simply incredible. Their ability to glide long distances after release from aircraft makes them difficult to intercept and allows strikes on targets deep within the fortress belt cities. "The devastation they cause is simply incredible," Dyachenko said of the weapon. The weapons are launched from aircraft that remain outside the range of many Ukrainian air-defence systems, leaving the cities exposed to repeated salvos without warning.
What is the current military situation around the fortress belt?
Russian forces already control nearly all of Luhansk region and almost 80 percent of Donetsk region. Kostyantynivka, the southernmost of the three fortress cities, retains only a limited Ukrainian troop presence according to reports, while Russia claims full control. The focus of Russian ground operations has shifted to the approaches of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. Capturing these cities would open routes westward across the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas. The full capture of Donbas remains a key objective for Russia, which has cited the protection of the predominantly Russian-speaking population as justification for its actions. The three cities together form the core of the heavily reinforced defence lines still held by Ukraine. The Russian army already controls almost all of Luhansk and is now in control of almost 80 percent of Donetsk, where all three fortress cities lie. Any further Russian advance here would directly threaten the remaining Ukrainian administration in the east.
How are residents and volunteers adapting to daily attacks?
Volunteer Viktor Makurin reported that key streets in Kramatorsk are now covered with anti-drone nets. Remote-controlled FPV drones are audible from inside buildings, and roads are considered lethally dangerous because of ambush drones. Many civilians have already departed, leaving parts of both cities sparsely populated. Residential buildings and infrastructure continue to suffer significant damage from repeated strikes. Mobile groups are firing at drones while explosions remain audible in the background throughout the day. The combination of glide bombs and FPV drones has turned routine movement into a high-risk activity for those who stay. "There are often FPV drones in the air, you can hear them through the window. Driving around the city is lethally dangerous," Makurin told the BBC. The anti-drone nets represent one visible adaptation, yet the underlying threat from both air-dropped bombs and small drones persists.
What diplomatic context surrounds the current fighting?
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last weekend following separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky has stated that Putin instructed his generals to complete the occupation of Donbas by the end of the year. The Ukrainian leader has formed two new task forces under generals Andriy Biletsky and Denys Prokopenko to defend the remaining territory. Zelensky has rejected any withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the region. What happens to the areas still under Ukrainian control was reportedly a key issue during the envoys' visit. Zelensky has described the Kostyantynivka-Slovyansk axis as Putin's primary remaining objective on the front line. "Putin's primary objective on the front line remains the same: Kostyantynivka-Slovyansk," Zelensky told journalists last month. The creation of the new task forces signals an attempt to stabilise the line while diplomatic channels remain open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fortress belt?
It is a chain of fortified Ukrainian defensive positions in eastern Donbas centred on Slovyansk, Kramatorsk and Kostyantynivka.
How many civilians have been injured since June?
Police recorded 70 wounded in June, rising to 212 in August across Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Are glide bombs the main threat?
Yes. Their numbers increased sharply over the summer and they cause extensive destruction to apartment blocks and infrastructure.
Has Kostyantynivka fallen?
Russia claims full control, but Ukrainian reports indicate only a limited troop presence remains in the city.
What is Zelensky's position on Donbas?
He refuses to withdraw Ukrainian forces and states that Russian objectives remain focused on the Kostyantynivka-Slovyansk axis.
Key takeaways
- Police began forced evacuations of families with children from Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
- Glide bomb strikes rose from 40 in June to 109 in July.
- Civilian deaths totalled 51 across the two cities from June to August.
- Russian forces control nearly 80 percent of Donetsk region.
- Zelensky has formed two new task forces to defend remaining Ukrainian-held areas.
Outlook for the Donbas front line
The coming months will test whether the new Ukrainian task forces can slow Russian advances toward the fortress cities. Continued high volumes of glide bomb and drone strikes are expected to keep pressure on remaining civilians and infrastructure. Any territorial shifts will directly affect the portion of Donbas still under Ukrainian administration. Zelensky has called the unfolding battle the main one of this year and the next. "What is probably the main battle of this year and the next is now unfolding," he said.