Russian attacks against the small region of Luhansk that remains under Ukrainian control appear to be "successful", in some twisted meaning of that word. What Russia is doing is nothing less than a total demolition of the city of Sievjerodonetsk. Russian invasion forces are now in control of most of the city, but the city has no water or electricity, and ninety percent of the buildings are destroyed. Russia is not getting anything of any value - they are just mowing down the opposition by using insane amounts of artillery before moving in and claiming the city as "liberated".
The focus on Donbass is costing Russia on other fronts. They are losing ground near Cherson, a still functioning city with considerable strategic and economic value. The Russian grasp of the local government and the citizens of Cherson is tenuous and slipping, and Ukraine might actually be able to reclaim the city within the next few weeks.
Trade a major city for a pile of rubble with nothing but symbolic value, at the cost of thousands of casualties. Nice move, President Putin.
