Russian troops shift strategy in Pokrovsk, aiming to disrupt logistics and approach Dnipropetrovsk region
Ukrainian forces believe that the Russians have likely abandoned the idea of a frontal assault on Pokrovsk and has opted to bypass the city from the south to the west, aiming to block logistical routes. Over the past 10 days, Russian Armed Forces have intensified their offensive on the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction. According to monitoring resource DeepState, the Russian troops advanced towards the settlement of Udachne and is now approximately 6.5 kilometers from the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russian troops, concentrated west of Shevchenko settlement near Pokrovsk, have been advancing in three directions—towards Solone, Pishchane, and Udachne. Overall, in the Pokrovsk direction, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the Russian troops attempted to assault Ukrainian defenders' positions in 11 settlements, actively utilizing aviation. However, Ukrainian Forces fighters halted 77 Russian offensive operations.
Simultaneously, the past 24 hours saw the Russian military lose 1,750 soldiers, 18 armored vehicles, five tanks, and 63 operational-tactical drones. This indicates that the Russian army has likely abandoned a direct assault on Pokrovsk. Instead, Russian forces are trying to bypass the city from the south to the west to block logistical routes and move toward the Dnipropetrovsk region's borders.
Sources from Ukrainska Pravda within the military, including commander of the 108th Separate Mechanized Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves," Serhiy Filimonov, stated that Russian troops concentrated their main efforts towards the settlements of Kotlyne and Udachne, located on the Mezhova-Pokrovsk highway.
“It was obvious. The Russians want to cut off logistics and take the city without a fight,” Filimonov said. Meanwhile, the publication continues, there is an opinion that the primary goal of Russian forces is not to capture Pokrovsk but to advance towards the Dnipropetrovsk region, aiming to further their offensive in that direction.
On January 10, the head of Pokrovsk Military Administration, Serhiy Dobryak, stated that Russian forces are a few kilometers from Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The city’s infrastructure has been destroyed, but about 7,000 residents remain.