Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had pushed further into the eastern Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, and videos showed Russian soldiers entering Pokrovsk on motorbikes and even on the roofs of damaged cars and vans. Moscow says capturing the city, dubbed the “gateway to Donetsk” by Russian media, would give them a platform to head north towards the two largest cities still controlled by Ukraine in the Donetsk region: Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Battle of Pokrovsk
Russia has threatened Pokrovsk for more than a year, staging pincer maneuvers to try to encircle it and threaten supply lines.rather than carrying out the deadly frontal assault used to capture the city of Bakhmut in 2023.
Ukraine’s military says around 300 Russian troops are now inside Pokrovsk and Moscow has stepped up efforts to bring in more troops in recent days, using thick fog as cover.
Mad Max style attack
Russian war bloggers posted videos showing Moscow troops entering Pokrovsk through fog-shrouded streets, which some Telegram users said was a scene from the 1979 action film “Mad Max,” which is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The footage shows Russian troops riding motorbikes, cars and other vehicles, some of which have doors and windows, on a debris-strewn street, while soldiers look on. Reuters was able to confirm the video’s location as Pokrovsk based on the street layout, signage, utility towers and visible trees, which matched archive and satellite imagery of the area.
Two versions
Moscow and Kiev give different versions of the battle for Pokrovsk. Russia has said for days that the city is under siege, while Kiev denies it has lost control of the city and said on Monday it was still capable of supplying supplies to nearby Myrnohrad. Open source maps of both sides’ battlefields show that Russia has carried out pincer maneuvers around the city and is close to closing it down, although Kiev has counterattacked near the town of Dobropillia. Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the New York Post that Russia was concentrating around 150,000 troops in the operation aimed at capturing Pokrovsk, with mechanized groups and marine brigades taking part in the offensive. Russia also claims that its forces have taken full control of the eastern part of Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, and are actively advancing northwest and east of Pokrovsk, and have taken control of the settlement of Novouspenivske, in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia. A Russian commander, who gave his call sign “Hunter” and identified himself as in charge of the assault detachment of the Russian Motorized Rifle Regiment 1486, said his troops had taken control of an oil depot on the eastern border of Kupiansk.
Zaporizhzhya
Precisely in Zaporizhzhia the Ukrainian situation became critical. The Kiev Southern Defense Forces announced that they have withdrawn from positions near 5 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region due to increased Russian offensive actions, increased exposure to fire and to protect the lives of personnel. Ukrainian media reported on it. “In Zaporizhzhia, fierce fighting has been going on for several days in a row. In recent days, hundreds of clashes have been recorded.” Ukrainian troops withdrew from positions near Novouspenivske, Novye, Okhotnyche, Uspenivka, Novomykolaivka.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
