Russia is preparing large-scale offensive on Pokrovsk - Forbes
The Russian army is approaching Pokrovsk in Donetsk region - now the Russians are only 4 miles (about 6.5 km) away.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Forbes.
"Russian troops are preparing to attack Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. This operation may be the culmination of the Russian offensive in this area. On 8 December, the Ukrainian military launched a counterattack and regained recently lost positions near the village of Velyka Novosilka in the southern Donetsk region. This was one of several counterattacks by the Defence Forces in recent days, but this section of the front is not really critical for either Ukraine or Russia," the article says.
According to the newspaper, how exactly the Russians will advance in Donetsk region depends on whether they manage to eliminate the Ukrainian military-held positions around Kurakhove, east of Velyka Novosilka. It is noted that the Ukrainian forces on the outcrop could threaten the supply lines of the Russians advancing on Pokrovsk in the north.
According to Forbes, up to nine Russian regiments and brigades with a maximum strength of up to 18,000 soldiers have been amassed there. At the same time, the Russians continue to use mechanised and infantry attacks on foot. This allows them to advance slowly into the eastern and central parts of Kurakhove and south of Kurakhove. The worst-case scenario for Ukraine is for Russian troops to "cut through" the ledge between the two villages in the north, in which case the Ukrainian forces in the east would be cut off.
Forbes writes that if Ukrainian forces retreat, Russian troops will "straighten" the front line from south to north from Velyka Novosilka to Pokrovsk. In this way, the Russians will reduce the threat to their flanks during the period when they will try to besiege Pokrovsk.
However, if the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold their positions, the Russians may decide to risk their flanks and attack Pokrovsk anyway. The newspaper believes that how soon the siege can begin depends on many factors.
It could be affected by the winter weather and the fact that the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump may stop providing aid to Ukraine and deprive Ukrainian troops of critical weapons.
Forbes believes that the coming weeks should determine how the Russian Armed Forces will attack Pokrovsk. But the overall situation makes it clear that they will definitely attack.
Despite the fact that the enemy is actually standing near Pokrovsk, the city's critical infrastructure continues to operate, including coal mining and shipment from mines.
