Ukrainian forces may have halted Russia near Pokrovsk, but situation still difficult — military expert

He shared the information with Espreso TV.

"Pokrovsk should be viewed as a broad front stretching from Toretsk and Chasiv Yar to the Kurakhove and Novopavlivka directions. The situation in these areas remains challenging. Russian forces managed to push Ukrainian defenders beyond the Sukhi Yaly River, where they established defensive positions. In the north, the enemy is advancing along the heights to the west. However, they clearly lack sufficient forces," Lakiychuk observed.

Further north, in the Pokrovsk direction itself, Ukrainian troops have managed to deploy reserves to halt or even completely stop the Russian advance, the expert added.

"Southeast of Pokrovsk, the enemy managed to advance beyond the highway to Mezhova but did not reach the Pokrovsk-Pavlohrad highway. However, thanks to the operational reserves of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, we were able to counterattack and push the Russians back from their occupied positions. South of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian troops also achieved success in several directions," he stated.

Currently, the front line in this area remains "jagged" due to the active pressure Ukrainian forces are exerting on the Russian army.

"If the Ukrainian Armed Forces have sufficient strength, they will be able to eliminate these salients. However, the enemy no longer holds the advantage, which is clear evidence of their miscalculations. The occupiers likely redeployed the 8th Army to the Toretsk-Chasiv Yar direction, believing they could achieve their objectives near Pokrovsk with the remaining forces," Lakiychuk added.