Russian troops raised their flag in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk (Donetsk region), but the city is not occupied and fighting continues there.
The DeepState monitoring project reported that the occupiers raised the Russian flag at 9:40 a.m., but an hour later it was destroyed. Analysts also published a video of how “the Russian rag appeared, but disappeared just as quickly“.
The situation for the Ukrainian forces defending the city remains difficult, as the Russian army continues to throw infantry into the fighting. UNIAN reported that Russia has gathered nearly 11,000 troops in this direction of the front and is trying to encircle Pokrovsk.
Ivan Tymochko, a military expert and chairman of the reservists in the Ukrainian Land Forces, said that "the enemy has directed all its forces to capture the city" and no scenario can be ruled out at this point.
"We hope for the best, but we are also preparing for the worst," he said. According to him, the capture of Pokrovsk is a political decision by Vladimir Putin, which he wants to be implemented at all costs and despite the losses. Tymochko said Putin had ordered his generals to send the entire army to Pokrovsk and raze the city to the ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian troops had concentrated their main strike forces in the Pokrovsk area, where fighting was even taking place inside the city.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian military said Kiev was rushing to reinforce its positions in Pokrovsk after small groups of Russian soldiers managed to penetrate the strategically important besieged city. Russia has been trying for months to occupy Pokrovsk, which occupies a key position in Ukraine's defense lines. The Russian military believes that capturing the city is crucial to taking control of the entire Donetsk region.