The fighting in Pokrovsk continues, the Ukrainian army says. Russia claims otherwise - that it has already captured the city in the Donbas region. The same applies to the city of Vovchansk, which Moscow claims is already under its control, while Kiev reports that the fighting continues.
The fighting is not over
The leaders of the Ukrainian armed forces described the statements of Russian official sources as propaganda, ARD writes. "The grand words of the aggressor's political leadership do not correspond to reality," the army said in a statement. According to them, Russia is trying to influence Ukraine's partners in the West and tip the balance in the negotiations between Russia and the United States.
Ukrainian soldiers on the front line in Pokrovsk confirm that the fighting is not over. "We managed to push the enemy out of some positions", Sergeant Ihor Tambiev told Ukrainian media, quoted by ARD. However, according to the soldier, the situation in Pokrovsk is "one of the most difficult at the moment".
Ukrainians defend themselves with drones
Other soldiers describe a much more dramatic picture. Russian troops are not stopping their advance, the commander of a drone brigade said on Ukrainian television. Weather conditions are creating the most serious problems for Ukrainian soldiers, ARD writes. So far, they have managed to limit the advance of the Russian troops with the help of so-called FPV (first person view) drones, which are controlled by pilots. However, there has been fog in the area for days, which has deterred the drones.
In many places on the front, the Russian troops significantly outnumber the Ukrainians, who compensate for this by using FPV drones. With their help, just one pilot can cover a very large part of the front. Therefore, the Russian army advances in small groups of several soldiers to remain unnoticed.
Is Pokrovsk lost?
Many Ukrainian military analysts believe that although Russia has not yet captured Pokrovsk, this will most likely happen in the near future. "The prospects are not positive, to put it mildly," says military expert Konstantin Mashovets. The Ukrainian army will have to withdraw from Pokrovsk given the circumstances, the expert believes. Observer Serhiy Rakhmanin agrees with this forecast - according to him, Ukraine does not have enough resources to hold these cities.
If Pokrovsk is captured, it will be the first major city that Russia has managed to capture since Avdiivka. It fell under Russian control more than two years ago. The two cities are about 50 kilometers apart, ARD recalls. Like Avdiivka, Pokrovsk is practically destroyed after years of fighting. However, according to observers, if Russia captures it, it will have strategic consequences.
The Russian army has currently sent at least 110,000 soldiers to this part of the front, according to various calculations cited by military expert Vladislav Seleznyov. "The city plays the role of a magnet that attracts a huge amount of Russian resources," he explains. According to him, if it successfully takes it, Moscow will be able to redirect these resources to other places on the front.
Will other cities fall?
The next targets of the Russian army will probably be the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, which are located north of Pokrovsk. They are the last major cities in the Donbas region still under the control of Ukraine, which built a defensive front there back in 2014. Russia wants Ukraine to give up its positions in these parts of its territory - Moscow has made this a condition for peace in its negotiations with American representatives.
Experts believe that Russia can make even greater progress north if it takes Pokrovsk - towards the Dnipropetrovsk region. There are fewer major cities there and fewer defensive options.
Author: Florian Kellermann ARD