Russia likely plans to encircle Pokrovsk via Dnipropetrovsk to force Ukraine’s withdrawal — military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“Russia has a strategic goal — to take Pokrovsk. Along the way to achieving this, will the enemy move solely through the territory of Donetsk region, or will they bypass it? Will they make a large detour through the Dnipropetrovsk region while simultaneously occupying settlements left under their control? It’s difficult to answer this question at the moment,” Stupak stated.

According to the military expert, Russia will seek to capture Pokrovsk.

“I don’t think the enemy currently intends to move toward Pavlohrad, then to the city of Dnipro, and toward the Dnipro River. I believe the enemy lacks the resources and such a plan at this time. However, bypassing via the Dnipropetrovsk region to encircle Pokrovsk, put it under pressure, and force our forces to retreat — that’s a realistic option for Russia,” Stupak suggested.

The military expert added that Pokrovsk has effectively turned into a ghost town. The streets are nearly empty, with only a few individuals moving quickly, avoiding staying in one place for more than a few seconds due to the extremely high activity of FPV drones in the air. Additionally, the city remains under constant shelling.

“I think in the coming weeks, we will see Russian forces advancing toward the Pokrovsk–Pavlohrad road. Unfortunately, near Ocheretyne, less than a kilometer remains for them to cut off this route,” Stupak emphasized.

• Over the past day, the Ukrainian Defense Forces eliminated at least 1,500 Russian soldiers, destroyed 39 artillery systems, and 11 armored vehicles.
• Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for Occupation Studies and former advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, reported spotting a column of Russian tanks moving from the Berdyansk direction, likely heading toward Pokrovsk.