As Russia gradually seizes more and more territory in Ukraine and continues to hit various targets in the Donbas, analysts fear Ukrainian defenders are losing ground. And the entire region may finally fall under Russian occupation amid a very protracted conflict.

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Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, many changes have taken place.. Attacking a neighboring country from the south, east and north, Moscow very quickly had to admit that it was trying to bite off more than it could chew.. So, changing her plans, she focused on the east of Ukraine. The Russian retreat from Kyiv and strategic failures elsewhere in the early stages of the war boosted the morale of the Ukrainian government and the military, and provoked optimism among Western allies, who began to assume that Ukraine could even defeat a more powerful neighbor.. But such sentiments did not last long.. They disappeared when Russia began to use all the forces available to it to seize the entire Donbass, while at the same time trying to maintain a land corridor to Crimea in the Ukrainian south..

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For several weeks now, Russian artillery has been destroying Lisichansk and Severodonetsk. These are the last cities under the control of Ukrainian forces in the Luhansk region. On Monday, the head of the Lugansk regional administration, Sergei Gaidai, said that Russia controls most of Severodonetsk, although fighting is still ongoing.. And all the bridges across the Seversky Donets River were destroyed. Worse, the Russian army has resumed its attack on Kharkov, although it has recently retreated in this direction.. The loss of Severodonetsk will be a big blow to Ukraine, analysts say. And there was concern that the Ukrainian army might begin to lose momentum in the battles against the Russian invaders..

Russia moving forward.

The situation, quite likely, began to change in favor of Russia. And the increasingly likely occupation of Severodonetsk could be a turning point for Ukraine, as well as another big loss on a par with Mariupol..

Russia is gradually moving forward and now controls most of the strategically important Severodonetsk, although heavy fighting continues in the city. The occupation of this city, as well as Lisichanskaya, is very important for the Russian goal to take the entire Lugansk region under its control. If it succeeds, it is likely that the Russian offensive will shift the focus to the Donetsk region, half of which is already occupied,” Teneo Intelligence adviser Andrius Tursa said..

According to him, the current situation in the Donbas reflects the Russian military advantage, including the fact that it has more equipment and manpower.. The bad news for Ukraine is that Russia seems to be getting smarter about its strategy..

“Compared to the first phase of the offensive, the Russian side has improved its operational and logistical activity, and also enjoys an advantage in the sky and electronic warfare capabilities.. Meanwhile, Ukraine is suffering from the fact that it is too slow to receive arms supplies from its allies.. And there are too few of these weapons,” the expert added..

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Alberk stressed that there is still a possibility that the Russian line will be broken somewhere. And the invaders will have to withdraw troops from Severodonetsk somewhere to Kharkov or Kherson. But now the invasion has reached a particularly dangerous point because Russia is throwing absolutely everything it has, seeking the complete occupation of Donbass.

" Because Russia is throwing tons and tons of old equipment at the fronts. She uses militants from Donetsk and Lugansk as cannon fodder. She enjoys her vast human resources. And Ukraine risks losing even more territory,” Alberk said..

“I am afraid that if Ukraine fails to break through the Russian front line and push the Russian army back, forcing Russia to further reduce its territorial ambitions, we will witness a certain semi-frozen conflict that will last a decade or more,” the expert added..

CNBC recalls that Ukraine continues to ask Western allies to provide more heavy weapons in order to establish " Tanks, long-range weapons like howitzers and MLRS, are on Ukraine's wish list of weapons capable of hitting targets at a distance of 50-80 kilometers with precision-guided missiles.. Experts say this is exactly what Ukraine needs right now.

And while the US and UK promise to transfer such weapons, there is concern about the timing and quantity of these deliveries..

Tursa notes that the supply of Western weapons, as well as large losses of equipment and manpower from Russia, can change the military balance in favor of Ukraine in the long term.. However, the expert noted that “it remains unknown whether such deliveries will take place in time and to a significant extent so that Ukraine can contain the Russian offensive in the Donbas or resume control over at least part of the occupied territories”.