Russia pushes toward key Ukrainian city as Kiev's invasion of Kursk slows
Russia has made sweeping advances in recent days that threaten to offset Ukraine's gains in cross-border attack in the Kursk region.
According to the BBC, Russian forces are just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a critical supply hub used by the Ukrainian military. Pokrovsk, a city with a central railway station and major road axes, is a key supply and reinforcement point for Ukraine's troops on the eastern frontline. That is, by sending troops to Kursk instead of reinforcing the eastern front, it left Pokrovsk and other important Ukrainian cities exposed.
During his visit to the front line, the head of the armed forces, General Oleksandr Sirsky, said that Russia was throwing “everything that can be moved” into its offensive.
“The situation is extremely difficult,” he admitted. Wednesday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “If we lose Pokrovsk the whole front line will collapse,” warned military analyst Mykhailo Zhirokov.
The Importance of Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk is located next to another city, Mirnokhrad. Together, the two settlements had a pre-war population of over 100,000, but most of their residents have now fled the country. These are the last two major cities in that part of the Donetsk region that remain under Ukrainian control. The battle for Pokrovsk is essentially a continuation of the battle for Avdiivka, which Ukraine lost in February after months of bloody fighting.
Avdiivka, which is located about 60 kilometers east of Pokrovsk, was considered a fortress that protected the settlements and roads to its west, helping to strengthen Ukraine's presence along the entire front line. When it finally fell, it was left in ruins. It was a serious loss for Ukraine.
This meant that Russia could shift its focus to Pokrovsk and the key hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, which “oversees” some of the important Donetsk cities still under Ukrainian control. The fighting there on Saturday left five dead.
A mass evacuation of Ukrainian civilians from Pokrovsk has been underway for weeks, with thousands already gone.
The Accelerating Russian Advance
Russia has long viewed Pokrovsk as a of its main objectives. For months her forces have been slowly marching towards it. Experts believe that Moscow has deployed around 30,000 troops for this attack – as well as its most ready reserves.
This week, he captured the Ukrainian city of Novokhrontivka, angering some in Ukraine who felt it should have been better defended.
“The trenches in front of Novokhrontivka were empty. There was virtually no Ukrainian army in the city that once had a population of 20,000,” a Ukrainian lawmaker wrote on Facebook.
With its forces understaffed and outnumbered, the Ukrainian army is believed to have withdrawn from Novokhrontivka to bolster defenses. of Pokrovsk.
The Russian offensive has been aided by a change in tactics, which increasingly mirror those used earlier in the war by the Wagner mercenary group. Ukrainian forces report that they are facing wave after wave of Russian infantry that has advanced in an attempt to take their positions.
This tactic – although costly – quickly exhausts Ukrainian units forced to fend off constant attacks.
According to the BBC, armored vehicles are used sparingly – complicating the task of Ukrainian tanks and artillery, which have few objects on the battlefield.
Russia also uses powerful cluster munitions, forcing Ukraine to disperse its units when the shelling begins, and some times even withdrawing troops from the front line.
Ukrainian Kursk offensive slowed
At the same time, progress on Ukraine's flagship cross-border offensive slowed significantly last week.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's top commander said Kiev forces had captured 1,294 square kilometers of territory inside Kursk, including 100 settlements and they took 594 Russian soldiers prisoner.
As the British media points out, the figures should be treated with caution, but they are undoubtedly significant. The question is whether they will justify the potential losses on Ukraine's eastern front.
“One of the objectives of the offensive operation in the direction of Kursk was to divert significant forces away from other targets such as Pokrovsk and Kurakhove General Sirski said on Tuesday.
But that goal appears to have failed. Russian forces have not withdrawn from the Pokrovsk front line. Instead, they have been reinforced by additional troops and their advance has been accelerated.
