Ukrainian military: Pokrovsk direction is top priority for Putin, Kurakhove is up next

Ivan Tymochko, Chairman of the Reservists' Council of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated this on Espreso TV.

“It was anticipated that after Russian forces captured Vuhledar, they would likely regroup their forces there, looking for places to concentrate or disperse personnel and equipment. They are expected to take additional measures as well. Their offensive will still focus on the direction of Kurakhove and the Kurakhove reservoir. The Russian army has not achieved the quick results they planned in the Selydove area. Kurakhove, Selydove, and Pokrovsk have larger populations than Vuhledar, which means there will be significantly more work to do. However, we must remember that the Pokrovsk direction has been presented by Putin as a priority for the Russian offensive at this stage,” he said.

Tymochko stated that the Pokrovsk direction serves as a central theme in the Russian information campaign.

“Everyone knows that the loss of Vuhledar was quite painful for Ukrainian troops and civilians, just like the loss of any settlement. So, of course, they will attempt to achieve not only military gains in this area but will also exert pressure on the information front. Especially since they have deployed their best forces to the Pokrovsk direction. However, we are also seeing a different trend: Ukrainian forces are capturing Russian soldiers in the Pokrovsk direction, and many of these soldiers claim they joined the Russian army only a month or two ago. This indicates that the Russians are pushing their soldiers to the front without giving them a chance to prepare or adapt to military life. Once you sign a contract, you complete a 'young fighter' course before being sent to Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, conscripts are being assigned to the Kursk region," he added.

Thus, Tymochko believes that the intensity of fighting in these contested areas will not decrease: “The Pokrovsk direction is a priority for the Russians. They are also trying to ramp up the intensity of fighting in the Robotyne direction or around Staromaiorske. Although they haven’t launched a full offensive operation, the frequency of attacks is starting to rise,” he summarized.

• Ruslan Muzychuk, spokesman for the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), noted that a significant number of artillery and air attacks are occurring in the Pokrovsk sector, as Russia attempts to use these strikes to create favorable conditions for advancing its infantry.