The advances in the Ukrainian east are sad but not unexpected. As others have mentioned, Russia should frankly already have captured these areas but bungled the get go so bad that they are just getting there now.
The most worrisome thing on the Radar right now, IMO, for the west is the grain shipping situation. It seems to be getting extremely perilous. Russia is saying they will blockade the black sea unless sanctions are reduced, US is trying to get Ukraine to give up eastern pieces (kissinger mentioned this publicly but seems like it was already going on behind the scenes) to broker at least temporary stop to fighting and reduce sanctions to allow grain, Ukraine is saying absolutely not, and European countries are starting to ask the US to figure out how to get them grain through those ports as alarm bells have started to ring globally for a massive food crisis. Meanwhile Turkey is piping up saying that they will "join" another naval power in ensuring the blockade is ended...
The only way the blockade ends without Ukraine giving up land are NATO ships blasting Russian ones in the black sea. China is trying to avoid this by arguing for a "green zone" shipping lane, but that doesn't seem to be going seriously yet. The other potential grain route is by train through Belarus,
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