SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP) — Fall is expected to bring another grueling test for Ukraine’s armed forces as Russia intensifies its campaign to seize an eastern region, once Ukraine’s industrial heartland and a territory it has long sought to conquer.

Russia now controls about 70% of the Donetsk region. Ukraine’s forces have been pushed back to a string of four cities that analysts have dubbed its “fortress belt,” where they’ve repelled Moscow’s efforts to seize the region for years.

But shortages of troops, supplies and chaotic management are making it increasingly hard to resist Russia’s relentless pressure in the region.

As the more-than-3-year-old invasion continues despite months of U.S.-led peace efforts, analysts and the military say the country could struggle to resist an intensified

See Full Page