Russia attempts breakthrough to Dnipropetrovsk region, threatens encirclement of Pokrovsk. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Frontline update

So, there is the diplomatic front, the defense-industrial front, and the real front line where combat operations are ongoing. These fronts will determine how diplomats will operate based on the real situation. That’s why we’re talking about what’s happening on the front line, about yesterday’s events.

It is known that over the last 24 hours, there were 155 combat engagements, with the two areas experiencing the most fighting being the Pokrovsk direction, with 70 clashes, and the Lyman direction, where 25 Russian attacks were repelled. We will discuss these two directions with the Ukrainian military.

Lyman direction

Let’s start with the Lyman direction, where the Russian forces have intensified their combat operations since April. Overall, the offensive has been ongoing here for nearly a year. It is on this front that the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Mstyslav the Brave has been holding the defense for an extended period. The soldiers of this brigade have been fighting here for two years - they were the ones who liberated these lands in the autumn of 2022.

Anastasia Blyshchyk, a spokeswoman for the 66th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Mstyslav the Brave, noted that there was no ceasefire during the so-called truce. The Russians declared it themselves, and they began to violate it themselves: in the morning of the first day, they traditionally went on the offensive, mostly infantry assault operations. In addition, the Russians shelled the Ukrainian positions with artillery, mortars and FPV drones.

Ukraine Russia war live map, May 3-10, Photo: Espreso

Also, according to her, there were no instructions from the Russian command to cease fire or stop the assault. On the contrary, the personnel were tasked with storming our positions and occupying certain areas. And they began to implement these tasks in the morning on the first day of this so-called truce. In total, on the first day, 11 attacks by the Russian occupiers were recorded in our area.

In recent days, we’ve seen a slight decrease in the number of attacks, but this doesn’t indicate a desire for a ceasefire or lull. More likely, they are regrouping, building up forces, and probing our positions. It is expected that as early as tomorrow, the occupiers may once again intensify their actions and resume assault operations.

As of May 12, in terms of the number of combat engagements per day, there were 9 attacks, all of which were repelled by the 66th Brigade in the area of responsibility in the Lyman direction.

A spokeswoman for the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade noted that it is extremely important to detect the enemy in advance. That is why everything works - Ukrainian artillery and mortars, but drones are the most effective. FPV drones are a very powerful weapon on the battlefield. We also actively use Mavic drops. The work continues 24/7. All our fighters are doing their best to eliminate as many Russian occupants as possible. It is especially important to destroy them on the approaches to the positions so that they cannot reach our infantrymen.

Anastasia Blyshchyk emphasized that today there is a critical shortage of people at the front. We must realize that no one says they want to join the infantry anymore. People call recruiting centers and declare their desire to become UAV operators or say they have experience in the IT field. And this is very much appreciated. It is clear that such specialists will be mobilized for the relevant positions, as promised from the very beginning. But in general, we also need to think about how to ensure fair mobilization, fair booking, and how to counteract the manipulative videos and information injections by Russians that have flooded Telegram and TikTok. Unfortunately, the Russian invaders are advancing. Unfortunately, Ukraine is also losing its people. That is why mobilization, despite the active talk of a so-called truce, should be at the forefront.

The spokeswoman for the 66th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Mstyslav the Brave also added that the occupiers usually start the assault with infantry moving in groups of two or three. In addition, there are enemies who go alone with an anti-tank mine. Their task is to get close to our positions to blow up the dugouts. That is why it is important to detect the enemy in time and do everything possible to prevent them from reaching the Ukrainian positions - this is what our air reconnaissance is doing.

However, beyond this tactic, we are now witnessing extreme deceit on the battlefield. The Russians have begun dressing in civilian clothing, as there are still civilians in the settlements where fighting is ongoing. This is a familiar situation - it has always been this way. And the Russians know that we will not fire on civilians, as we are defending our own people. They disguise themselves as civilians and try to approach our positions to inflict damage on our defenders. This is a blatant violation of all rules of warfare.

In addition, the Russians are using identification markers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — such as specific colored armbands or tape. Disguised as "friendlies," they try to approach our positions and then inflict harm on our infantry. That’s why today, more than ever, it is crucial to stay vigilant against an enemy resorting to such treacherous tactics.

Pokrovsk direction

And then we will talk about the Pokrovsk direction, where the largest number of combat engagements took place during the week. We know that the Russian forces are trying to increase pressure here to control the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad- Kostiantynivka road, which is the eastern flank of Ukrainian defense of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine Russia war live map, May 3-10, Photo: Espreso

On the western flank, there are attempts by the occupiers to advance to Pokrovsk, where they are being held back by active counterattacks. There is also an area west of Pokrovsk with enemy attempts to advance to the administrative borders of Dnipropetrovsk region and create preconditions for expanding the strip from which they could try to cover Pokrovsk. Such Russian objectives are quite clear to Ukrainian military leadership.

We know that the Ukrainian brigades are now operating effectively on the western flank of Pokrovsk. We would like to invite a representative of the Spartan Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, which is operating in this area, to speak to us. It is known that the Russians have been trying to conduct combat operations here for a long time, although they are now also conducting offensive actions. A couple of days ago, the invaders tried to conduct attacks near Novoserhiivka using tanks, armored vehicles and infantry. It was near this settlement that the enemy was defeated with the use of artillery and FPV drones of the Spartan brigade.

Stanislav Sokolovskyi, Major, Deputy Commander of the 3rd Artillery Division of the Spartan Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, noted that there was no so-called truce: the Russian troops tried to advance in certain areas, using assault groups and armored vehicles. With the announcement of the truce, the Russian invaders did not slow down the pace of offensive actions. They do not change their tactics, acting in small groups from different directions, trying to gain a foothold somewhere for further advancement. The occupiers rarely use armored vehicles. Recently, there was an attempt by an enemy armored column to advance, but Ukrainian defenders stopped the invaders with artillery, anti-tank weapons and FPV drones. The Russian forces suffered losses in manpower and equipment.

The major said that the Russian troops usually use manpower, rarely light vehicles. The occupants use such vehicles to transport their infantry to certain parts of the frontline. But such vehicles are disposable, as they only reach Ukrainian FPV drones. With the occupiers' losses, the pace of offensive actions does not slow down, because they suffer very significant losses in personnel every day.

The serviceman noted that drones dominate the battlefield, as they deliver necessary supplies to positions and destroy Russian personnel and equipment. And the most important thing is reconnaissance, because drones are the eyes of the fighters 24/7. Artillery and drones must work as a single component, and only then will there be a good result.

The officer added that FPVs now operate at such distances that nowhere can be safe. You can be 15 kilometers away from the combat line and a drone will come there. There are also fiber-optic FPV drones that are difficult to neutralize because they are not affected by electronic warfare. We, for our part, are working to make the occupiers uncomfortable in their rear zone, and they are doing the same. Ukrainian drone operators reconnoiter communication routes and enemy positions in order to make it more difficult for the invaders to conduct further offensive operations. The drone operators provide very good targets for artillery to hit.

Sokolovskyi said that the self-propelled artillery system DITA is a good system that has many advantages. However, no weapon is perfect, so there are technical issues that the soldiers are dealing with. This system is easy to use, and the trained crew performs efficiently. DITA fires three shots at one target at a time with different flight paths and approximately the same time to hit the target. This installation has very good characteristics.