Russian occupiers changed their tactics of fighting in the Pokrovsky direction

Over the past 24 hours, 151 combat clashes took place on the front, with the hottest situation remaining in the Pokrovskoye direction.

In the Pokrovsky direction, our defenders stopped 43 assault actions of the aggressor in the areas of the settlements of Pankivka, Chervonyi Lyman, Rodynske, Myrnograd, Novoekonomichne, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, Novosergiyevka and towards Filiya.

It is worth noting that over the past two weeks, the Russian occupiers have changed their tactics of fighting on the Pokrovsky sector of the front in the Donetsk region. In particular, this includes the widespread use of armored vehicles, which was not the case before.
This is influenced by several factors. The first is difficult weather conditions, which make it difficult to identify the locations of accumulation of heavy armored vehicles and, accordingly, the routes of movement. And most importantly, the possibility of hitting the equipment with FPV drones. The second factor is political.

The Russians are pressed for time. The Russian Federation found itself in a situation where the loud statements of both the Chief of the General Staff of the army of the occupying country, Gerasimov, and the Russian dictator himself about the “capture” of Pokrovsk were nothing more than advance statements. And the whole world once again had the opportunity to see with its own eyes that the statements of the Russian side about “significant tactical successes” do not correspond to reality.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, the Russian occupiers control only half of Pokrovsk and cannot freely enter the city due to the operation of Ukrainian drones.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, despite Russia’s loud statements about the alleged capture of Pokrovsk, the real situation is completely different. Russian troops have never managed to fully take control of the city.

Currently, the Ukrainian Defense Forces control about 16 square kilometers of residential development in Pokrovsk.
For your understanding: the total area of the city is about 29 square kilometers. That is, more than half of the city is under the stable control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. And most importantly, despite all the efforts of the Russian occupiers to intensify breakthrough attempts using heavy armored vehicles, the Defense Forces of Ukraine are giving a more than adequate response.

All approaches to the settlement are under constant surveillance and strikes by Ukrainian drones. Therefore, the invaders cannot move safely around the city.

The occupiers in the Pokrovsky direction suffer huge losses — both in manpower and equipment.

The other day, two units of heavy enemy armored vehicles, two tanks, an Osa anti-aircraft missile system, an armored combat vehicle, and a military vehicle with ammunition were destroyed. In addition, drones of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit five more tanks and six armored combat vehicles, and four cars. That is, an assault column of Russian occupiers was destroyed.

Last week, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed at least three assault columns consisting of units of the 76th Airborne Division, this time transferred to the Donetsk region from the Zaporizhia direction.

Currently, the Russian command is transferring the most combat-ready units not only from the Sumy, but also from the Zaporizhia direction to the Pokrovskaya sector of the front.

The Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, stated in an interview with Suspilny that Pokrovsky is the direction of the enemy’s main strike.

“This is purely military planning, don’t look for some kind of double bottom here,” Budanov emphasized.

At the moment, the enemy’s main efforts are focused on attempts to break through to the area of the settlement of Hryshyne with the threat of taking under direct control the locations of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, as well as the Pokrovsk-Pavlograd highway.
According to Vladislav Seleznyov, a reserve colonel of the Ukrainian Navy, the key problem for the Ukrainian side is not the combat capability of the units, but logistics.

“I don’t think that in the near future we will be able not only to destroy enemy groups that are infiltrating Pokrovsk and Mirnograd, but also to maintain stable defense lines due to the impossibility of full-fledged logistical support,” he noted.

According to the expert, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are currently actually implementing maneuverable defense: units are gradually withdrawn from urban areas, but operate in an organized manner, maintaining control and inflicting losses on the enemy.

Special units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and the Special Operations Forces are conducting strike and search operations to destroy both small enemy assault groups and expand logistics to prevent further breakthrough of the Russian occupiers directly to the main locations of the Ukrainian defenders.

Let me remind you that Russian troops continue active offensive operations in the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk region. The enemy is exerting pressure from several directions at once. The Russians are trying to infiltrate in small groups past the first line of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but are suffering heavy losses in personnel.