Russian troop buildup near Pokrovsk now outnumbers pre-war city population, Ukraine says
Photo: About 110,000 Russian troops are deployed in the Pokrovsk direction (Getty Images)
Russian forces in the Donetsk region are applying pressure from multiple directions. The most intense fighting is near Pokrovsk, where a large number of Russian troops are concentrated, Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group of Forces, said in an interview with Suspilne.
Russian forces in the Donetsk region are applying pressure from multiple directions. The most intense fighting is near Pokrovsk, where a large number of Russian troops are concentrated, said Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group of Forces, in an interview with Suspilne.
The intensity of the fighting has not decreased.
"Before the start of operations in the Pokrovsk direction, there were 110,000 Russian troops. I am unsure how to describe the scale accurately. Pokrovsk had a pre-war population of 60,000. That means Russian forces are practically twice the size of the local population. It feels like they gathered such a horde to take on an average European country," said Trehubov.
The Russians have also increased pressure in the Lyman direction. Previously, there were around 10 clashes there. Now, the number has risen to mostly 30.
"In the direction of Serebrianske Forestry, where there is an opportunity to infiltrate, the Russians are actively using every chance. They are trying to advance through already destroyed territory. There has been no breakthrough, although they managed to push our forces back slightly," Trehubov said.
Russian forces continue to attempt advances into the Dnipropetrovsk region, particularly in the Novopavlivka direction. Despite some gains, Ukrainian troops are mostly defending rather than attacking.
Trehubov added that Russians' boldness sometimes backfires, as seen in the Dobropillia direction.
"We are on the defense. We are not so much counterattacking or liberating as we are pushing the Russians back from the areas they are trying to penetrate. Sometimes their boldness works against them. That happened in Dobropillia. They overextend, move further than they should, and get destroyed," he said.
Frontline situation
On August 22, Ukrainian forces reported 143 clashes across the front. The Pokrovsk direction was the hottest area once again.
There were 38 attacks near Nykonorivka, Novoekonomichne, Myroliubivka, Rodynske, Bilytske, Sukhyi Yar, Chunyishyne, Zvirove, Udachne, Molodetske, Muravka, and Dachne.
For a detailed update from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, read RBC-Ukraine's report.
