The Russian army has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for months. The Ukrainian city is of great strategic importance to the Ukrainian army due to supply lines to the front in the Donbas region. The Russians now seem to be really at the gate.
Ukrainian media write that Russian units managed to slip into Pokrovsk last week. According to Pravda, this was due to a lack of manpower and carelessness on the Ukrainian side. It would involve sabotage units.
Sources tell The Kyiv Independent that it is not clear whether the Russian units have also managed to entrench themselves in Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian army has reportedly carried out a “cleaning operation” in recent days.
Before the war, about 60,000 people lived in the city. By far most of them have been evacuated. The local military leadership tells news agency Reuters that about 1,500 residents have remained.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has seen no evidence of actions by Russian units within the city limits. But the American think tank does see that the Russian army has advanced further towards Pokrovsk.
Pokrovsk according to Russian media springboard for conquest Donbas
The rumors about Russian units in the city indicate, according to the ISW, that Moscow plans to increase its attacks on Pokrovsk. This is while the area around the city is already one of the most heavily contested places on the front, says Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He estimates that Russia has some eleven thousand soldiers on the spot for an attempt to conquer Pokrovsk.
Pokrovsk is the hub of important railway lines and access roads. Russian media call the city the “springboard” for the conquest of the Donbas region, according to Reuters. Moscow wants to get this region, which it now occupies for about 70 percent, at all costs.
Via Pokrovsk, ammunition, weapons and equipment reach the most important Ukrainian defense posts along the front. The Ukrainians therefore call the roads around the city “lifelines,” says Reuters. Some roads are fully equipped with anti-drone nets, as can be seen in the photo below.
If the Russians can disrupt or cut off that supply, they may be able to advance further. In addition, the Dnipro region quickly comes into view, where the Russian army has (still) not gained a foothold. However, Russia is constantly bombarding the region from the air.
