Russia claims upper hand in Eastern Ukraine, but analysts suggest progress 'costly,' power 'declining'

Analysts debate whether Russia will take the Donbas in the next few weeks or if the lack of progress indicates that Russia's combat power will continue to decline.

A view shows residential buildings damaged by a military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine April 16, 2022.  (REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko) Ukrainian soldiers are seen riding on an armored presonnel carrier during an exercise not far from Kharkiv on April 30. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian soldiers examine Russian multiple missiles abandoned by Russian troops, in the village of Berezivka, Ukraine, on April 21. (AP/Efrem Lukatsky) A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid the rubble of a building heavily damaged by multiple Russian bombardments near a frontline in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April 25. ((AP Photo/Felipe Dana)) Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news. 

The battle over the town of Sieverodonetsk has continued to intensify over the past few days, with both Ukraine and Russia claiming at various points to have made gains in the city. The picture in certain pockets remains uncertain, but it grows increasingly clear that Russia has started to gain the advantage in the broader eastern region. 

Russia initially controlled small parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, but after shifting targets to the rebel states, Putin has found his troops gaining the initiative.