In the epic heat of the Ukraine summer, the battle for Donbas — and maybe the outcome of the entire ground war this year — is at a pivotal stage. The Ukrainians have staged a tactical withdrawal from the last cities in Luhansk to “straighten the line”, establishing a narrower defensive position reinforced with the new Nato rocket and artillery systems.
Vladimir Putin has been ordering reservists to the Ukraine border, with the aim of pushing onto Slovyansk and Kramatorsk by the end of August. The call-out is just short of a national mobilisation — already reservists aged up to 65 have had their call-up papers.
