The Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the Russian advance in the Pokrovsk sector. The Russians have not advanced a single metre in 6 days. This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi. However, Pokrovsk remains one of the most risky areas on the frontline. Moreover, the occupation of the city opens the way for the enemy to reach other major cities of Ukraine. 
Now it is critically important to hold on to Selidove and the surrounding agglomeration, says in an exclusive commentary
“Selydove is like a starting point before Pokrovsk. A place where the enemy can hide, accumulate resources for further success. That is why it is important to hold this settlement now,” said Officer Tykhyi.
On the way to Pokrovsk, there are no settlements that the enemy can cling to, which will significantly complicate the movement of the Russian army. However, the Defence Forces officer cites the example of Avdiivka, after which the Russian army moved on relatively quickly.
“After the capture of Avdiivka, it would have taken the Russians a very long time to move along the imaginary line of Ocheretyno-Berdychi-Semenivka-Orlivka-Tonenke and beyond. By the way, this is the same principle why the enemy was unable to reach Kharkiv in 2022. After all, there are no settlements there to cling to. There are continuous fields and forests, which created obstacles and in some cases made it impossible for convoys to move,” the officer explains.
Despite relatively favourable terrain conditions and the heroic defence of Ukrainian defenders, the Russians managed to occupy these territories with huge losses.
According to various sources, the Russians are 7 to 10 km away from Pokrovsk, which is already within the range of cannon artillery and MLRS, says Yevhen “Tykhyi”. There is also a large number of enemy electronic warfare and electronic warfare systems.
“What can we say about the enemy’s aerial reconnaissance, if on a clear day even a Matrice (drone) can see up to 12 km,” he adds.
What can deter the enemy?
Officer Tykhyi notes that there is no doubt about the quality of training and combat missions performed by our troops.
Now everything depends on communication and interaction between units.
“If there are signs of disorganisation between brigades and battalions, sectors are not divided, and communication problems exist, this will lead to enemy failures and breakthroughs. For example, someone moved to a more favourable position and did not warn or did not warn in time. It is logical that the enemy is groping for weaknesses, identifying them and using them as an advantage,” believes officer Tikhiy
Will the capture of Pokrovsk open the way to the Dnipro for the Russians? The Defence Forces officer thinks so.
“Also, in the case of the occupation of Pokrovsk, the enemy will have favourable factors to take Kurakhove, which will help them to reach the road to Zaporizhzhia,” said officer “Tykhyi”
Moreover, the analysis of the Institute for War Studies analysts and DeepStat map shows that Russia has launched a new offensive on Kurakhove and Vuhledar. The enemy’s goal is to eliminate the broad Ukrainian advance to the west and southwest of Donetsk and advance to and along the H-15 (Donetsk – Zaporizhzhia) highway.
ISW analysts suggest that Russia’s coordinated offensive operations from the southern flank of the Pokrovske direction to the western flank of the Ukrainian defence around Vuhledar are likely aimed at increasing pressure on the Ukrainian Armed Forces holding the defence in the western part of Donetsk region.
Author: Anastasia Fedor