Thank you to Ryu and everyone else that contributes to this thread.
Regarding the war, it does appear that the Russians and allied militias have made substantial progress in the Donbass and the Lugansk Oblast in particular. With Severodonetsk largely captured by the Russians, it leaves Lysychansk as the last remaining city of significance in that region. The loss of Lyman places further pressure on the front and the Ukrainians may be considering a withdrawal toward Bakhmut or Slavyansk, lest they find themselves in a repeat of the Mariupol encirclement.
The smoke around the Kherson offensive has yet to clear and it will be interesting to see if the Ukrainians can push the Russian forces back to the east of the Dnieper.
The greatest challenge I see facing Ukraine is that Russia has in those regions air superiority and an advantage in artillery. The Ukrainians have proven formidable in the defence of their cities, but fighting in the open and contesting smaller towns plays into Russia's advantages. The possible loss of the remainder of Ukraine held territory in the Lugansk region could also free up thousands of Russian and or rebel troops which presents additional problems.
Here is some analysis from an Austrian military Colonel of the hostilities in Ukraine. It is in German but nevertheless contains great maps and information regarding the advances and potential encirclements (cauldrons) that are forming in the Donbass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQ9-asg8gg&t=326s
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