Pokrovsk may become epicenter of major battles in next 60 days - Expert warns
Photo: Pokrovsk could become the epicenter of intense fighting in the next 60 days (Getty Images)
Over the next 60 days, Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region may become the epicenter of huge battles. If the situation becomes critical, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will likely have to consider the possibility of withdrawing from the city, a Ukrainian military expert, Ivan Stupak, says in a comment to the YouTube channel RBC-Ukraine.
"Without unnecessary panic, but also without excessive ultra-patriotism, the worst situation, in my opinion, is Pokrovsk. And Pokrovsk in the next 60 days may become the epicenter of huge battles," Stupak said.
A military expert noted that Pokrovsk has already been the epicenter of fighting for the past year. But if you open the Deep State map, you can see the encirclement that is now taking shape.
"That 'bottleneck' is not yet critical, but it is approaching that point. Currently, the width of the territory through which our troops can advance to the city is approximately 17 km. This is still more or less okay, but of course it is dangerous. There are Russian drones, Russian aviation, but it is still possible to slip through and deliver equipment, fuel, and personnel," the expert explained.
However, in Stupak's opinion, if this distance shrinks to 10 km or less, it will mean that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will have to consider the possibility of leaving the city, as was the case in previous situations.
"A classic example is the city of Vuhledar. There, the city could still have been held; it is situated on a height, but because it was encircled, our troops had to leave it in an emergency mode, and we suffered losses there," a Ukrainian expert added.
Situation in Pokrovsk
Recently, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that last week, an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group attempted to break into Pokrovsk. Ukrainian defenders stopped the enemy assault.
The Donetsk Operational Tactical Group stated that Ukraine's Defense Forces are actively conducting operations against enemy sabotage groups in Pokrovsk. According to the military, sabotage groups are destroyed even before approaching the city.
Ukrainian troops also reported that fighting is ongoing on the outskirts of Pokrovsk and in the area of the settlement of Shevchenko.
Yesterday, the analytical OSINT project DeepState reported that over the weekend, enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered Pokrovsk - a city that is currently one of the Russians' key targets on the front. The enemy's goal is to consolidate, await reinforcements, and take control of Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Street.
Meanwhile, military personnel and observers claim that the pressure from Russian troops on the city is seriously increasing.
