With Russian forces advancing deeper into Pokrovsk and Kupyansk, where there are ongoing attempts to capture these cities, as well as the areas around them and in Zaporizhia, Ukraine and Ukraine are simultaneously engaged in an equally important propaganda war with both sides giving conflicting assessments of the situation on its fronts.
Russian “cauldrons”, “tongs” and Ukrainian counterattacks despite the shortcomings
Moscow maintains that huge Ukrainian forces are trapped in what is known as a “cauldron”, i.e. they are surrounded without the possibility of escape or resupply, with Kiev denying this development claiming that even the “pincer” movements attempted by the Russian forces have not completely closed around the cities and the areas around them and the resupply of the Ukrainian forces continues.
In this context, there are several reports that the Ukrainian side has very serious deficiencies in several parts of the front, in some of which their defense is left to the use of drones.
The battle of Pokrovsk and the future of Donetsk
A capture of Pokrovsk, which if not achieved as claimed by Russia, which has been trying to take the city for more than a year, is certainly close as the Ukrainian side officially maintains that the situation there is extremely difficult, will mean that Russian forces will then be able to move towards Donetsk’s largest cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
What do Ukrainians say?
More specifically, in a related announcement on the matter, the Ukrainian army claimed yesterday that it delivered supplies to Mirnokhrad (east of Porkrovsk, which means that the cauldron has not been closed) and renewed the troops fighting in the city, evacuating those who were injured. “Ukrainian units confidently hold their positions and destroy the invaders on the approaches to the city,” the relevant announcement said. “The logistics for the city are complicated, but they’re running normally.”
Ukrainian forces are holding their positions around Pokrovsk and Dompropilya, a city to the north, where Kiev says its troops have advanced, Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement. Ukraine’s military commander, Oleksandr Sirsky, has claimed that Russia has amassed around 150,000 troops in an attempt to capture Pokrovsk. Ukrainian forces say around 300 Russian troops are now inside Pokrovsk, but Moscow is stepping up its efforts to get more forces in, using the thick fog as cover from drones. They reported that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian forces inside the city.
What Russia Says – Images in the Fog
The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, claimed that its forces are advancing towards the city, and have made significant gains in two of its districts. Russian niche bloggers released video on Tuesday that they claimed showed Russian forces entering Pokrovsk along a fog-shrouded road, in scenes some Telegram users compared to the 1979 action film Mad Max, set in a post-apocalyptic setting. The video showed Russian forces on motorcycles and various cars and other vehicles. Several vehicles, without doors or windows, drove down a road littered with debris as soldiers watched. Some Russian soldiers were sitting on the roof of a battered vehicle. A drone could be seen by the side of the road. Russia also announced that it had captured 256 buildings and that its forces were actively advancing northwest and east of Pokrovsk, as well as around the railway station.
Battles in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv
Russian troops are also advancing on villages in the Zaporizhia region further south, according to reports from the front. The Russian Defense Ministry said two villages there – northeast of the city of Khuliaipole – were among three captured in the past 24 hours along the 1,000 km (620 mile) front line. Russia claims its troops have captured the settlement of Novushpenivska in Zaporizhia. Ukraine withdrew from some villages, including Novushpenivska, due to intense attacks with more than 400 artillery rockets per day. Ukrainian military blog DeepState noted a “significant increase in gray areas,” with uncertain control over the Zaporizhia region.
Accordingly, Russia maintains that its forces have taken full control of the eastern part of Kupyansk in Kharkiv. A Russian commander, who gave Reuters the code name “Hunter,” said his forces had seized an oil tank east of Kupyansk.
