7th Corps spokesman Polevyi: "I hope infantry are clinging to Pokrovsk because of the command’s strategy"
Head of communications for the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces, Colonel Volodymyr Polevyi, spoke about the defence of Pokrovsk, where infantry are "clinging to positions".
He said this in an interview with Radio NV, Censor.NET reports.
Positions are "tactically disadvantageous."
As the serviceman said, the Defence Forces are still holding positions both north of Myrnohrad and north of Pokrovsk. The fiercest fighting is continuing in the area of the settlement of Hryshyne.
"If in the area of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad the Russians have the advantage and our positions there are tactically disadvantageous, positions we are clinging to, then we hope there is an operational or strategic design behind this on the part of the command. Meanwhile, in the town of Hryshyne these are positions that must be held, and there we are effectively destroying the enemy," Polevyi said.
According to the colonel, the Defence Forces’ offensive in the south became possible in part because Ukrainian troops held the line firmly in Pokrovsk.
"To advance somewhere, you need to hold back the enemy everywhere else," he noted.
According to Polevyi, the enemy has taken a certain tactical pause.
"This is linked to the change in weather, as well as to the fact that the enemy cannot decide where the direction of our main Ukrainian strike will be. Therefore, we are recording a decrease in the intensity of active offensive assault operations in our direction. We have remained in positional defence, holding positions north of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. And now the fiercest fighting in our sector is taking place in the area of the settlement of Hryshyne," the serviceman said.
Russians believe they have captured Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad
The spokesperson noted that the Russians believe they have already taken Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
"They believe they are fighting for Hryshyne, Shevchenkove, Rodenske, reaching the lines near Bilytske... Accordingly, they reported that they had taken Pokrovsk back in January. They do indeed control the approaches to the city and our logistics from the heights and fortifications that Pokrovsk is rich in. Our positions are still there, but this is not a powerful fortified area, not the positions of our drone operators, but infantry positions that are being held north of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad," the serviceman said.
Fighting for Hryshyne
Polevyi said that enemy troops are moving in small infantry groups. They are using the bed of the Hryshynka River and the built-up area stretching from Pokrovsk into Hryshyne as cover, which allows the enemy to move around.
"In the south, it (the enemy - ed.) managed to dig in and find certain shelters there. They have not set up positions, command posts, there are no drone operators there, but the Russians have already moved into basements, cellars, into certain positions, which we can accordingly see, and we are conducting what are called search-and-strike operations. That is, we detect them, fix their positions, begin striking them and ultimately clear those positions," the spokesman said.
He added that Hryshyne has become a grey zone for both sides, where there is intense fire from both our side and the Russian side.
According to Polevyi, the Russians are using their numerical advantage and are gradually pressing forward and advancing north of Hryshyne.
