Aside from Pokrovsk, Russia eyes three other key directions — military expert

He discussed this live on Espreso TV.

"Regarding the situation in the Donetsk direction, unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that Russian forces have essentially occupied the city of Kurakhove. Intense fighting is still ongoing there. In many areas, the Russians have advanced near the TPP. They’re attempting to fully occupy the settlement of Stari Terny. In the Pokrovsk direction, which remains their primary focus in the Donetsk region, they plan to bypass Pokrovsk directly from the west. They’re pushing toward one of the main highways, as Pokrovsk is a city with nine key transport routes that support the logistics of Ukrainian Defense Forces," he said.

Zhmaylo added that Russian forces are also working to cut the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway east of Myrnohrad.

"So far, luckily, they can’t advance as quickly as they did in November, when they managed to seize up to 30 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in a day. Russian forces are also losing momentum due to their heavy losses. That said, they are still attempting to cut the critical Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway east of Myrnohrad. A few days ago, unfortunately, they captured the settlement of Vozdvyzhenka. In fact, you could say that the focus of their offensive in the Pokrovsk direction has shifted to that area," the expert explained.

According to Zhmaylo, beyond Pokrovsk, there are three other critical points where Russian forces are attempting to gain ground.

"First, moving south, there’s Velyka Novosilka. Reports indicate that enemy forces, including units involved in storming Kurakhove, are now shifting their efforts to this direction. Their goal is to encircle the settlement from the north. They’re continuing their assaults in the southwestern part of the city. Some analysts warn of a potential full encirclement, but for now, it seems the Defense Forces will manage to hold this key defense point. The Russians’ main goal, as with Vuhledar, is to sever the Vremivka salient," Zhmaylo noted.

The military expert noted that Toretsk and Chasiv Yar remain two key points of tension, but both areas have a significant concentration of Ukrainian Defense Forces.

"The other two points of tension are Toretsk and Chasiv Yar. These cities are completely destroyed — only ruins remain. Unfortunately, the Russians are advancing in both areas. However, we are holding onto these cities because building our defenses along defense nodes in the Pokrovsk-Kurakhove direction comes with significant drawbacks.

This isn’t surprising, given that we have far fewer troops and infantry units. The Russians, like cockroaches, exploit loopholes and try to infiltrate. In Toretsk and Chasiv Yar, there’s a large concentration of our troops, along with an even larger concentration of Russian forces. As a result, the enemy is demolishing these cities with guided aerial bombs. They’re not storming our positions but instead attempting to destroy them further with artillery fire and FPV drones. Consequently, their losses in such a confined area are much higher," he explained.

Dmytro Zhmaylo emphasized the strategic importance of Chasiv Yar’s defense.

"We’re holding on to it, in part, with the legendary 24th Brigade stationed in Chasiv Yar, to prevent these cockroach-like infiltrations if the settlements are captured. Moreover, Chasiv Yar is particularly crucial because it sits on strategic high ground. If, God forbid, this city falls, the Russians plan to advance further along the ridge of heights to target the major agglomeration of Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and other cities with more precise artillery fire," he added.

• On January 8, reports emerged that Russian forces were advancing into urban areas in the Kramatorsk and Toretsk directions, resulting in the destruction of some Ukrainian Defense Forces’ positions.