The situation in Pokrovsk
The city of Pokrovsk is located in the western part of the Donetsk region, which is why it is called the “Western Gate of Donbass”. In recent months, the occupation forces managed to approach the populated area at a distance of 6-10 kilometers.
At the same time, judging by the DeepState map, the Russians have about one and a half kilometers in a straight line from the “gray zone” to the southwestern edge of the city.
Map: Russians are approaching the outskirts of Pokrovsk (deepstatemap)
Pokrovsk is of great strategic importance, as the city is not only known as an industrial city, but also provides access to important road and rail connections. Due to the deteriorating security situation near Pokrovsk, work at the largest coal mine in Ukraine has already been partially suspended.
There is no gas supply in the settlement, the supply of free water has also been stopped and due to constant Russian shelling, power cuts are recorded in the town. Despite this, 11 thousand people remain in Pokrovsk. Local authorities are calling for evacuations due to the growing danger.
What is Russia’s goal?
Ukrainian defense forces repulse attacks by Russian troops at Peschany, near Pokrovsk. Now there are no Russian saboteurs in Pokrovsk, and the fighting in the vicinity of the city has stopped, Nazar Voloshin, a representative of OSGV Khortitsa, said the other day.
According to military expert, reserve major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexey Getman, it is quite possible that the occupiers want to leave southeast of Pokrovsk and avoid street fightingbecause the enemy understands that street battles last for months, and they must advance quickly.
“That’s why they have plans surround the city from the north and south. That is, take it in a ring or half ring and compel our garrison, who hold the defense there, to leave this settlement. Everyone understands this, and even more so our General Staff and the headquarters involved in planning military operations,” Getman said in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
The intense struggle in the Pokrovsky direction continues. Ukrainian forces are trying to hold the line there. But the obstacle for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the prevailing enemy forces, which makes it too difficult to hold back, the expert notes.
About the risks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in case of loss of the city
Since Pokrovsk is the last major city before the administrative border of Dnepropetrovsk region (there is a direct road to Pavlograd), speculations are increasingly appearing in the media that the capture of Pokrovsk could open the way for the enemy to storm Dnepropetrovsk region.
However, the expert Hetman assures that any army cannot advance continuously, and in every offensive there is a specific end goal. After this, the troops stop and they prepare for the next operations.
“This operation that is now taking place, it was being prepared since the end of last year, and these talks that the gates open (to the Dnepropetrovsk region – ed.) … Well, remember. Wagnerites and Bakhmut, Getman gives an example .
He says that during planning, the army and logistics are calculated, and a specific goal is set for which milestones are to be reached. Hence the assessments after Pokrovsk, if the Russian Federation manages to capture it, there will be a shutdown, as after Bakhmut, the expert suggests.
“But this means the war will end and they won’t plan for the next operation, so they carry it out as best they can. It’s not constant. But this is not what they planned.” , says Getman.
Thus, if Pokrovsk is captured, the fighting will continue, but the intensity will decrease and the Russians will prepare the next operation. But after a break. As before, the expert concluded.
