The Ukrainian army strengthens its defenses in the war-torn city of Pokrovsk against Russia. But to do this, Ukraine would have to withdraw troops from other sectors of the front – and the Kremlin is exploiting this weakness.
They came in the fog. Russian soldiers took advantage of the autumn weather to storm the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on motorbikes and civilian vehicles. In the final years of the war, the autumn mud season was considered a stalled phase as the weather often made motorized progress on the front lines impossible. But one thing has changed: Both sides are using fewer tanks as they are quickly wiped out by swarms of drones. Instead, Russian soldiers advanced in the fog to protect themselves from the drones.
Fierce fighting is currently raging, especially in the Pokrovsk region. The situation in the mining town, which once had a population of 60,000, is unclear. Only one thing is certain: Vladimir Putin’s troops still haven’t succeeded in taking Pokrovsk. Russian units are operating throughout the city, as are Ukrainians, and defenders are expected to continue to control the city center. After all, a bloody battle in the city was raging.
Videos from surveillance drones shared on social networks by Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers reveal part of the reality in Pokrovsk and the neighboring city of Myrnohrad. This is hell. Russian artillery shelled city centers and warplanes dropped glide bombs on Ukrainian positions. These images show that the situation on the pitch must have been a nightmare for the defenders.
But that’s not the only problem. Even though Russia has not yet surrounded these cities, Ukrainian supply lines are under Russian attack. Military analysts doubt whether it makes military sense for Ukraine to defend Pokrovsk in the long term. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also follows a political logic that could become increasingly dangerous for soldiers in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
Kiev also acknowledged that Ukraine’s situation in this sector is precarious. According to human rights defenders deployed there, Russia’s attack on Pokrovsk under the cover of fog was partially successful last week. The Ukrainian Army’s 7th Airborne Corps said it succeeded in destroying some of the light vehicles it was using. Despite this, the enemy has invaded the city and they are sought to eliminate him.
videos | The weather apparently aided Russia’s military progress
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