Capture of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka will open way for Russian army to advance on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, - Independent
If Russia captures Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, it will be the Russian army's most significant territorial gain in Ukraine since the capture of Avdiivka in early 2024.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by The Independent.
Some Western military analysts, including Rob Lee, a senior research fellow at the American Foreign Policy Research Institute, believe that the capture of Pokrovsk will be an important tactical victory for Russia, especially if it happens before the end of 2025. It would also give Russia a platform to advance northwards to the two largest cities in Donetsk Oblast, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. At the same time, he said that even if the city were captured, the Russians would have to do a lot of work to occupy the rest of Donetsk Oblast.
According to the publication's estimates, Ukraine currently controls about 10% of Donetsk Oblast's territory — approximately 5,000 km² in the west of the region.
Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for over a year. Unlike large-scale assaults such as the battle for Bakhmut, in this case, the enemy is using a gradual "pincer movement" tactic, seeking to surround the city and cut off the supply lines of the defence forces.
As The Independent notes, the tactic was for the occupiers to send small units and drones to disrupt logistics and sow chaos in the rear before sending in larger reinforcements, the publication writes.
Яка ситуація у Покровську?
- Russian occupiers, who managed to break through into the urban area of Pokrovsk, are trying to consolidate their positions and set up observation posts, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces officer Serhii Tsekhotskyi. In some areas of the city, the occupiers have begun to take up defensive positions.
- According to DeepState analysts, the enemy has recently made advances in Pokrovsk.
- Ukrainian Armed Forces officer Mykola Melnyk, commander of the M2 Bradley mechanised company, reported yesterday that the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration is in a state of semi-encirclement with effectively severed logistics. Ukrainian defence forces control 50% of Pokrovsk.
