Atesh reports Russian desertions and losses near Pokrovsk
Photo: Ukrainian soldiers (president.gov.ua)
The situation in Pokrovsk remains tense, and fighting on the approaches to the city is causing growing internal problems within Russian units operating in the area, according to an update from the Atesh partisan movement.
The situation in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban area remains tense, with heavy fighting on the approaches to the city creating mounting internal problems among Russian forces operating there.
Agents of the Atesh partisan movement report worsening conditions within Russian units. According to their information, elements of Russia’s 39th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade are continuing assault operations in areas where control shifts repeatedly, while their overall advance has slowed significantly.
Wounded and dead Russian soldiers are said to remain in the streets, as evacuation is difficult and rotation and resupply now move much more slowly than before.
Disappearances and desertions
After precision strikes by Ukrainian Defence Forces against Russian positions on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, numerous disappearances have been recorded, including suspected cases of desertion.
Command posts, equipment concentrations, and units operating UAVs came under fire. Russian servicemen reportedly believe that some of the missing could have been killed in these strikes, increasing tension and distrust within the ranks.
More Russian soldiers contacting Atesh
The movement’s representatives say they continue to receive new messages from Russian troops expressing interest in joining Atesh.
The organisation adds that it has already achieved results in Pokrovsk, though details cannot yet be made public. They will be disclosed when possible.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently stated that Russian forces have failed to meet their declared deadlines to reach Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, as both directions remain under Ukrainian control.
Ukrainian forces have also destroyed a section of road between Selydove and Pokrovsk, preventing Russian units from using the route for light armored movement. The Defence Forces say they continue systematically cutting enemy logistics on the approaches to the city.
