Russian forces attempting to flank Pokrovsk, reach nearby village of Hryshyne
Russian forces in Ukraine's Pokrovsk agglomeration aim to reach the village of Hryshyne northwest of the city in the short term, Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Air Assault Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
Unable to breach Pokrovsk's defenses and use it as a springboard, the Russians are attempting to bypass the city, the corps said.
Troops have been spotted north of Pokrovsk, with several enemy infantrymen trying to infiltrate and entrench at an agricultural facility; they were eliminated, military sources said.
The corps noted an increase in small-arms battles inside Pokrovsk and rising enemy losses from direct fire. Since early November, Ukrainian forces have killed 314 Russians in the city and wounded 71 others.
Russians are also continuing efforts to pin down defenses in Myrnohrad, where Ukrainian troops recently destroyed a group from Russia's Main Directorate of the General Staff (formerly GRU). Such units operate in a second echelon behind sabotage teams, overseeing first-echelon tasks.
Defenders are detecting more Russian attempts to infiltrate Myrnohrad from Krasnyi Lyman; the enemy is being destroyed on the city's approaches.
Situation around Pokrovsk
The Pokrovsk axis has remained one of the front's hottest sectors for months, where Russian forces are pressing Ukrainian positions and attempting one of Donetsk Oblast's largest objectives — capturing Pokrovsk — the DeepState monitoring portal noted.
In early November, Defense Ministry intelligence special units parachuted into the city amid ongoing fighting and established a ground corridor.
Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha Center operators have conducted combat operations on the Pokrovsk axis for an extended period. The SBU said the number of Alpha fighters there increased significantly after the operational-combat situation escalated.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration must hold back a multi-thousand-strong Russian grouping that continues attempts to infiltrate residential areas and cut supply routes.
However, Syrskyi stressed there is no encirclement or blockade of the cities. A comprehensive operation is underway to destroy Russian forces and push them out of Pokrovsk, he said.
Still, some soldiers interviewed by hromadske expressed doubts about clearing the city due to the enemy's superiority.