The material says that Russian troops could not occupy Pokrovsk after 8 months of offensive operations. However, they had a consistent advance in the western part of the Donetsk region.
The Russian frontal attack on Pokrovsk failed
According to ISW expert and report author Angelique Evans, Ukrainian defense operations, combined with limitations on Russian strategic and operational reserves of manpower and materiel, caused the Kremlin to abandon its original plan for a frontal offensive campaign against Pokrovsk.
At the same time, the publication also draws attention to the fact that the Russians generally launched an attack on Pokrovsk at a time when Ukraine had significant resource constraints, in particular after the suspension of US aid in the fall of 2023.
As for the Ukrainian defense of the city of Pokrovsk, it is based on the integration of successful innovators and UAV operators with ground forces, the report says.
The enemy is trying to capture Pokrovsk
“Now the Russian military command is trying to cover Pokrovsk from the southwest through Selidovo and align the front line west of Kurakhovo and north of Ugledar,” writes an ISW analyst.
It is noted that Russian troops have recently captured Selidovo and are using the occupation of Ugledar to advance into Kurakhovo, but the Russian advance is costing them the loss of a significant number of personnel and armored vehicles, combined with time.
“Ukrainian drone operations continue to play a critical role in deterring Russian mechanized maneuvers and preventing Russian forces from fully exploiting Ukraine’s current manpower limitations,” the report said.
According to the ISW expert, the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to prevent the enemy from capturing Pokrovsk has so far forced the Russian army to focus its efforts on advancing in what is probably “the least significant sector of the front line from an operational point of view.”
And this is a positive indicator of Ukraine’s ability to continue fighting this war, despite the challenges Ukraine faces, Evans adds.
Two offensive operations by the occupiers
Currently, Russian troops are trying to carry out two simultaneous and accompanying offensive operations, the publication says.
They aim to capture Pokrovsk through a turning maneuver through Selidovo and level the front line from Pokrovsk to Yasnaya Polyana in order to destroy the “bulge” of the Ukrainian Defense Forces west of Donetsk, and create conditions for a future offensive in the Donetsk region.
Russian troops have been “steadily advancing” in the Pokrovsky and Kurakhovsky directions since March, but have not yet achieved significant operational success in either direction, writes ISW/
“So far, Ukrainian defenders have managed to divert Russian forces from a direct attack on Pokrovsk and convince the Russian military leadership to devote manpower, equipment and time to less significant achievements from an operational point of view in the western part of the Donetsk region.” ” says the report.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the main Russian offensive during the summer-autumn campaign
The publication indicates that the Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to stop the main offensive efforts of the Russian Federation during the summer-autumn campaign of 2024, forcing the Russian military command to spend significant resources and time on an offensive that did not advance the invaders geographically. closer to their main business goals.
This publicly declared goal of Moscow, in particular, involves reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. For this, the occupiers need, among other things, to capture Pokrovsk, which is the main operational objective of the Russian military campaign in eastern Ukraine.
The news is being updated…
