Illustrative photo/Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
The Pokrovsk sector remains the most intense area of the enemy’s offensiveю One-third of the assault operations are occurring there. At the beginning of the year, the Russian occupiers were 38 kilometers from Pokrovsk. Now they are less than 15 kilometers away. Against this backdrop, Hromadske journalist Diana Butsko discussed the current situation in the area.
She spoke about it on Hromadske Radio.
«Pokrovsk itself looks like a peaceful frontline town. Not much has changed here over the past few months. People are living their lives. But if you look closely, you start to realize that the Russians are indeed getting closer. Some people are closing cafes and shops, and gradually leaving, but very few are departing the city. More people are leaving Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk’s satellite town, or nearby villages. However, if you move 5-10 kilometers away, the situation is catastrophic,» the journalist said.
According to her, «complex» battles are taking place in the villages before Pokrovsk.
«In the settlements where the front line is 2-4 kilometers away, enemy drones are constantly flying; artillery is working intensely; the Russians have a lot of shells here; as usual, they have more personnel. When they manage to break through a section of the front, they hit there, trying to push further. In these villages, where the front line is very close, there are civilians, but life seems to have stopped. They are not on the streets. Those who remain are still hiding somewhere in basements or in their homes,» she said.
Butsko emphasized that one of the reasons the enemy can advance in the Pokrovsk direction is due to the quality of fortifications.
«Over the past few months, some brigades have rotated in this area. Some leave, and others enter. Firstly, they do not always hand over stable lines of defense, simply because the brigades themselves do not have time to dig in, as the offensive is advancing rapidly. On the other hand, I would mention the regional administration: there are many really good anti-tank trenches, but overall, the quality of the fortifications remains an open question. The military usually builds their own fortifications. Some are on the defensive while conducting an offensive, while others are digging in. If there are enough people, then, of course, they have time to do it. But this happens very rarely,» the journalist stressed.
She added that the military has enough shells in the Pokrovsk direction, but there will «never be enough drones.» The reporter noted that the Russians now have a lot of drones: one drone for every APC traveling along this road in the direction of ground zero to carry out operations.
Butsko summed up by saying that the situation in Chasovyi Yar has been stabilized:
«After we retreated beyond the Canal area, they are trying to stabilize the area. According to the military, the town is calm, and there are no active attacks. It is possible that the Russians will redeploy their forces, but for now, they have managed to stabilize the frontline. We are in a very favorable position now, and the occupiers can be destroyed on the approaches.»
As a reminder, the operation in the Kursk region allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to seize the initiative on the battlefield. It also enabled them to counter the Russian initiative across the entire theatre of operations. This marked the first time such a shift occurred since November 2023.