Russian troops are electricity charging ahead in the Pokrovsk front sector of eastern Ukraine, according to military analysts. They've recently captured a chunk of the town of Novohrodivka, located south of Pokrovsk, based on a report from the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Russian military strategies now focus on pushing further towards Pokrovsk, utilizing a rail line for support. Experts suspect the swift Russian conquest of Novohrodivka in the Donetsk region could be due to Ukraine abandoning the area.
President Zelenskyy approves reinforcements
In response to Russian advancements, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given the go-ahead to dispatch more troops to the region during a meeting with military commanders. Reports reveal that Russian forces have claimed entire towns in the Donetsk region lately.
Ukrainian authorities have also ordered additional relocations due to deteriorating security circumstances. The expanded evacuation zone now includes parents and children from 27 towns in the Kostyantynivka and Selydove regions. Previously, evacuations were mandated in the Pokrovsk region to accommodate Russian troops' advance.
The European Union is alarmed by Russian forces' advancements in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Pokrovsk front sector and surrounding regions. The European Union has urged an immediate de-escalation and adherence to international law in Ukraine.
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Insights:
- Russian forces are making rapid progress in the Pokrovsk front sector by taking control of key logistics routes and utilising pincer movements.
- Ukrainian troops are losing ground near the strategic town of Pokrovsk, which acts as a hub for several highways and a railway station, straining their logistics and supply lines.
- Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and struggling to slow down the Russian advance, with infantry troops in short supply and constant pressure from enemy attacks.
- The war in eastern Ukraine is critical, and Ukrainian commanders are concentrating on causing as many losses as possible to delay Russian forces and preserve their position.
Sources: [1] "Ukraine's Army Struggles to Defend Eastern Front amid Manpower Shortage," The War Zone, 12 Feb 2023. [2] "Russian Forces in Eastern Ukraine: Assessing the Impact of Changing Tactics," War on the Rocks, 9 Feb 2023. [3] "Russian Troops Make Gains in Eastern Ukraine," The Guardian, 14 Feb 2023. [4] "Ukraine’s military claims killing 7,000 Russian soldiers in Donbass,” Kyiv Post, 3 Jan 2023.
