Russian troops "sliding" from Pokrovsk toward east – military

This was reported by Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the Khortytsia group of forces, as quoted by Ukrinform.

"The only thing here is that the Russians are actually sliding east toward Toretsk, but by our calculations, it’s still considered the Pokrovsk direction, at least it’s east of the city of Pokrovsk. This is halfway to Kostyantynivka, but in our assessments, it still falls under the Pokrovsk direction," he said.

The spokesman stressed that the hottest spots right now remain the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka directions, with some Russian activity continuing in the Lyman, Toretsk, and Kramatorsk areas.

At the same time, there’s noticeably less Russian movement in the Kharkiv, Siversk, and Kupyansk directions.

"It’s clear that in the Kharkiv region, the enemy has definitely reinforced. But if we look at actual clashes in Kharkiv and Kupyansk, there aren't many. Can the Russians step it up? Sure, they can. But for now, it hasn’t happened, though the potential is definitely there. Some forces are gathering... That’s a fact," Trehubov explained.

• Earlier, military expert Valerii Riabykh, director of development at the media and consulting company Defense Express, pointed out that Russian troops have limited resources for large-scale offensives, so they are focusing on directions with easier logistics for them.