Russia aims to create operational encirclement threat in Pokrovsk sector - military expert

This was stated by military expert, co-chairman of the Prava Sprava public organization Dmytro Sniehyriov on Espreso TV.

"The Rotybor assault squad was redeployed from Chasiv Yar, which was considered a primary focus. This shift indicates that the occupiers are concentrating their main efforts on the Pokrovsk direction. Additionally, this redeployment allows the occupiers to execute a flanking maneuver along the entire road 0504, potentially reaching the flank of the Ukrainian forces near Kostiantynivka. This poses a significant threat of operational encirclement for Ukrainian troops in the Chasiv Yar area. This is why we are placing such emphasis on the Pokrovsk direction," he noted.

If the Ukrainian Armed Forces approach the urban areas in the Pokrovsk direction, the intensity of the Russian advance will decrease. However, the logistics of the Ukrainian Defense Forces will become twice as complicated, Sniehyriov noted.

“Autumn is a boomerang. If the distance to the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway is currently 5.5 kilometers from the front lines of Russian troops, we can say that autumn will hit the locations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. We will be forced to use dirt roads. These are quite dangerous options. To a certain extent, this will slow down the Russian offensive, but it will hit the logistics capabilities of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. In other areas with dense urban development, such as Chasiv Yar, where fighting has been going on for six months, they will not be able to break through. After Chasiv Yar, Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk are large industrial cities. They are well aware that the assault on these cities means numerous losses in manpower and equipment, and most importantly, it means a period of time. And they don't have a lot of time, particularly until the end of the presidential race in the United States. Therefore, the Russians will try to put pressure on the Pokrovsk direction, to create a threat of operational encirclement of the Ukrainian group in the area of Kostiantynivka and Chasiv Yar,” he added.

According to the military expert, the loss of Pokrovsk is a threat to the Ukrainian steel industry and economy.

“Regarding the situation in the Pokrovsk sector, it is worth noting that the distance to Pokrovsk is 10 km, and it is shrinking. The main task of the occupiers is not only to take control of the locations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but also to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk region and cut off the Ukrainian Defense Forces from the main amassing bases in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Pokrovsk is a large industrial city with the main coking coal reserves that are still at the disposal of the Ukrainian side. This is about 7 million tons of coking coal. If we lose Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian steel industry will be heavily dependent on imports of this raw material. No one is talking about this, but this is the main task of the Russian troops - to inflict an economic blow by depriving Ukraine of the opportunity to use natural resources,” he added.

• On August 15, the Pokrovsk city military administration reported that Russian troops had approached close to Pokrovsk, Donetsk region.