Russian troops suffer heavy losses trying to advance on Pokrovsk — military

Chuchula said this in an interview with Hromadske Radio.

He also noted a sharp increase in Russian activity in the Pokrovsk direction.

"The Russians are suffering very heavy losses trying to move toward Pokrovsk. They're losing a lot of troops. Our defenders in Pokrovsk are fully prepared for any offensive and are holding off all assaults."

The officer added that "it’s impossible to name specific settlements suffering the worst damage from the enemy," but said Russian forces "always fixate on certain settlements" to frame their capture as a major achievement.

"They do it to showcase even minor ‘victories’ to their own people. That’s why they keep pushing on any settlement — even if only the name is left. They don’t spare anything. They level everything to destroy our units holding those positions. Then they move in, take the ruins, and claim in the media that they’ve captured the place. Right now, areas like Lysivka, Sukhyi Yar, Kotlyne, Pishchane, and the Zvirove direction are under constant pressure."

• On May 5, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the situation in the Pokrovsk direction remains extremely difficult, but the Defense Forces have managed to stabilize it and take the tactical initiative in some areas.