Pokrovsk has become new symbol of confrontation between Ukraine and Russia, - Bloomberg
The battle for Pokrovsk, after Avdiivka and Bakhmut, has become a new stage in the war. Russian generals repeatedly choose a medium-sized Ukrainian city as the next key target of their invasion, expending enormous human resources and equipment to capture it. The question now is not whether Pokrovsk will fall, but what consequences this will mean for the war.
According to Censor.NET, this is what Bloomberg columnist Marc Champion writes about.
He emphasises that the capture of Pokrovsk will have a significant political and symbolic effect for both sides of the war. According to the columnist's estimates, Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops to this area, which significantly exceeds the pre-war population of the city. He adds that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin desperately needs a military victory before winter sets in. After Pokrovsk, the Russians' further advance will be significantly hampered by fortified defensive lines and open terrain, which is difficult to hide from Ukrainian drones.
Russia's losses are growing: the bloodiest year of the war
The analyst notes that despite significant resources and advantages on the front lines, this year has been unsuccessful for Moscow. Because Achievements on the ground remain minimal, and the economy is increasingly feeling the pressure of war. Therefore, the capture of Pokrovsk could help Putin maintain the narrative of "ineluctable victory" and neutralise the fatigue of Russian society.
At the same time, the expert emphasises that even if the city falls, it does not guarantee Russia a strategic breakthrough in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian strategy of exhausting Russian forces remains effective, and the pace of the Russian offensive remains slow — from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk, Russian troops have been moving for 20 months, covering less than 50 km. According to Ukrainian estimates, Russian losses during this period have almost tripled, reaching more than 1.14 million dead and wounded.
"Those figures are partisan and therefore unreliable, but there is wide consensus among independent military analysts that the trend they reflect is correct; this has, for Russia, been the bloodiest year of the war to date," Champion says.
The West must not allow the Kremlin to put pressure on Ukraine
The expert emphasises that the outcome of the battle for Pokrovsk will have serious consequences for international support for Ukraine. It is crucial that the West, particularly the US and the EU, do not allow the Kremlin to use any potential success to pressure Kyiv and attempt to impose capitulation terms.
Similarly, Ukraine's defence could collapse if Europe is unable to fill the gap left by the sharp reduction in US support during the Trump presidency.
