Ukraine’s defense of Pokrovsk is becoming increasingly difficult, with who ends up controlling this key logistics hub a major factor in the war.
According to an analysis by the BBC, if the Russian army captures the settlement in the Donetsk region, it could be the biggest Ukrainian loss in the months-long front line. Russian troops have been trying to break through the city’s defenses for more than a year, and in recent weeks they have appeared inside the city.
“Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops in the area,” the article reads, with Russian soldiers occupying buildings and streets and successfully pushing back Ukrainian units.
According to the BBC, Russia has assembled a force of tens of thousands in the region and has been intensively attacking the northern and western outskirts of the city in recent weeks. The fighting results in heavy casualties on both sides, but the terrain is favorable to the Russians. According to the analyses, it was used by Moscow „infiltration tactics” slow, though effective:
The Russian soldiers gradually take control of the streets and buildings, avoiding large frontal battles.
Meanwhile, Kyiv is trying to maintain morale, but soldiers fighting on the ground report that supplies are faltering and the situation seems hopeless. Ukrainian drone warfare, which used to provide advantages on several fronts, is less effective in the urban environment of Pokrovsk.
According to Attila Demkó, in the urban battles, the Russians equalized Ukrainian superiority and even took the lead at some points. Due to the autumn weather, fog and stormy winds, the deployment of drones is limited, so the focus has shifted to the infantry – and in this the Ukrainian forces suffer serious losses.
However, Kyiv continues to deny that Pokrovsk is in Russian hands. The Ukrainian military says its forces are still putting up “active resistance” and have managed to hold several key points, including the city hall, where the Ukrainian flag has been re-raised.
However, the BBC, citing several open-source analyses, reports that the Russians have already taken control of most of the city, while over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers risk being surrounded.
“Seizing Pokrovsk would put Vladimir Putin a step closer to his goal of occupying the entire Donbas, even if Russia’s advance this year has been extremely slow,” BBC concludes.
Remix News already reported on sources claiming that as much as 85 to 95 percent of the city had already been occupied by Russian forces.
The city is of significance because it serves as the logistics hob for the eastern Ukrainian theater of operations, the city and its surroundings are home to a railway distribution hub with huge storage capacities, while the H-32 highway is the most important east-west transport axis, he says. This is used by the Ukrainian army to transport supplies, fuel and combat equipment in Donetsk. Two north-south roads also run through it, on which maneuvering troops move.
