A Ukrainian drone pilot told Hromadske that Russian forces now control 60% of the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, which is being fiercely fought over.
The city, which had a population of nearly 60,000 before the war, is strategically important to Kiev. Ukrainian serviceman Valery (his real name is withheld) says the situation in Pokrovsk and neighboring Mirnograd is hopeless.
The authorities in Kiev deny that Ukrainian troops are surrounded and that the city is effectively lost. But according to reports from the scene, the Russians now control most of Pokrovsk, and the situation for the Ukrainian defenders is becoming increasingly difficult.
According to military analysts, Ukraine has failed to stop Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups that have repeatedly penetrated the city since July. Although most Russian soldiers have been neutralized, Ukraine has still not been able to sufficiently stabilize the front - mainly due to insufficient infantry deployment on the ground, Focus.de reports.
The Russian army has also been steadily increasing its presence in the region in recent months. The Russians have stepped up their flank attacks, meaning that the remaining troops in parts of Prokrovsk and Mirnograd are at risk of being encircled. The General Staff of Ukraine claims that not a single unit of the Ukrainian armed forces is surrounded in Pokrovsk.
Kiev even announced that commandos were sent to the area in an attempt to stabilize the situation.
According to the Ukrainian drone pilot, the information from the Ukrainian military leadership is not correct. “Those who are on the front line in Pokrovsk are already practically surrounded and there is almost no chance of escaping. There are buildings, apartment blocks and streets that one has to cross without being shot at, which is almost impossible”, he says. The Ukrainian drone pilot described the situation in Pokrovsk as “terrible”.
Furthermore, the bad weather is currently making it difficult to use drones, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to stop the advancing Russians.
Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst at the Finnish Black Bird Group, believes that Ukraine could repeat the mistakes of the past by waiting until the last moment to withdraw. He sees abandoning Pokrovsk and Mirnograd as a more favorable solution. The loss of the cities would have only a limited impact on the situation, and Russia would not necessarily gain momentum. If Ukraine withdraws, while retaining as many personnel as possible and avoiding worst-case scenarios, the end result could be seen as a Pyrrhic victory for the Russians.
However, if Ukraine withdraws from Pokrovsk, it would significantly complicate the defense of the rest of Donbas. Russian forces will create a bridgehead in Pokrovsk from which they will launch attacks on other targets on the front.
Russia said on Monday that Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk and Kupyansk were surrounded and should surrender, as otherwise they had no chance of survival, Reuters reported. The agency notes that Russia has been trying to establish control over Pokrovsk since last year as part of its plan to seize all of Donetsk region, about 10% of which is still under the control of Ukrainian forces.