Russia accumulates approximately 110,000 troops in close proximity to the strategically crucial Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine's statements.
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Russia's troops have amassed around Pokrovsk, a pivotal city in eastern Ukraine, with a staggering force of 110,000 soldiers, according to the Ukrainian military chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi. He declared this hotspot along the 1,200-kilometer front line is where the action's at.
Over the past year, Moscow has been persistent in trying to capture Pokrovsk, launching one offensive after another. Despite having overwhelming manpower and resources, they've failed to take over the city. That's because Putin's ultimate goal is to seize all of Donetsk and Luhansk's eastern Ukrainian regions, which his forces currently partially control.
Critics accuse Putin of stalling peace efforts to seize more Ukrainian territory. Even though Pokrovsk isn't a major metropolis, it's essential due to its strategic location on a key supply road and railroad, connecting it with other military hubs in the area. Combined with Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, it forms the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region under Kyiv's control.
There were around 60,000 residents in Pokrovsk before the war, but most evacuated in the three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine's last active coking coal mine was in Pokrovsk, and many workers stayed to keep it operational. When the mine had to shut down early this year, they too left.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitor, Ukraine's defensive operations in Pokrovsk have forced Russia to abandon its initial plan to capture the city via a frontal assault. This was due to the successful integration of drone operators with ground forces by Ukrainian troops, disrupting Russian advances.
In addition, Russia struggled to boost troops in the area because they were trying to contain a surprise Ukrainian troop incursion into the southern Kursk region. Syrskyi revealed that this operation pulled back nearly 63,000 Russian troops and 7,000 North Korean troops. This strategic move weakened the enemy's pressure on the main fronts, allowing Ukrainian and Russian forces to regroup.
Instead of direct attacks on the city, Russian troops later resorted to encircling Pokrovsk from the south and northeast. The ISW reports that Russian forces are now continuing assaults with small fireteams comprised of one to two soldiers, sometimes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and buggies. As of Friday, Syrksky stated that Russia was still attempting to break through to the administrative border of the Donetsk region.
Worldnews reports have been focusing on the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, particularly the situation around Pokrovsk, a city of strategic importance due to its location and connection with other military hubs in the Donetsk region. This political hotspot has been the center of attention, with Russia continuously trying to capture it, despite the efforts of Ukrainian forces to resist. General news outlets have been highlighting the latest developments, including the integration of drone operators with ground forces by Ukrainian troops, which has disrupted Russian advances and forced a change in tactics, with small Russian forces attempting to encircle Pokrovsk from the south and northeast.
