Recent Developments in Pokrovsk
Three days ago, enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups managed to break through into the city of Pokrovsk. Military personnel and observers have reported that the pressure from Russian forces on the city is increasing significantly. This development has raised concerns about the security of the area, which has become one of the key targets for Russian military operations.
According to an analytical OSINT project called DeepState, over the weekend, enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered Pokrovsk. The goal of these groups is to maintain their positions, wait for reinforcements, and eventually take control of Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Street. The report suggests that the Russians took advantage of a situation where one of the brigades ran out of infantry and also due to inaccurate local situational reporting. As a result, they were able to enter the city via Zvirove. The 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade had to quickly address the situation to prevent a major crisis.
Military sources speaking to RBC-Ukraine confirmed that on Sunday, July 20, enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups indeed broke into the city from the southwest settlements—Zvirove, Leontovychi, and Troianda. From Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Street, the enemy attempted to push through to Torhivelna Street. However, this breakthrough was immediately detected, and the sabotage groups were blocked. According to the media outlet, there may have been four to five such groups, each consisting of five to six people.
A source mentioned that the clearing operation has continued for at least three days. Additional forces were sent to the city, and as of today, the situation has overall stabilized. However, the operation remains complicated by the fact that many civilians still remain in Pokrovsk.
Strategic Moves by the Enemy
Kostiantyn Mashovets, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, explains that the enemy is now trying to complete their shaping operation before the actual assault on the Pokrovsk defensive district. According to Mashovets, the enemy, composed of the Center army group, is conducting offensive actions on the flanks of the defensive district in Pokrovsk. They are attempting to break into the area of the settlement of Rodynske from the east and northeast, to bypass Myrnohrad from the north. The enemy has also become active southwest of Pokrovsk, in the areas of Udachne, Muravka, and Novomykolaivka, advancing on both banks of the Solona River.
Essentially, the enemy is trying to advance. However, their momentum is not very great, and they are facing challenges in achieving their objectives.
Background and Previous Actions
Russia intensified its pressure on Pokrovsk last autumn. Many analysts and military personnel, in off-the-record conversations, believed that by the end of 2024, battles might already be taking place within the city itself. From February to April, the Ukrainian army managed to improve its positions by carrying out a series of successful counter-offensive actions on the southern approaches to Pokrovsk. These actions focused on areas such as Pishchane, Shevchenka, Udachne, and Kotlyne.
However, by summer, Russian troops once again stepped up their advance in this sector. They managed to develop a breakthrough northeast of the city, taking control of a significant section of the road connecting Pokrovsk and Kostiantyntynivka (T-0504). According to Mashovets, after the elimination of the Kurakhove direction, the 8th Combined Arms Army was transferred into the junction between the 51st (which operates on the Toretsk direction) and the 2nd Combined Arms Army. This move created a tactical breakthrough to the road, north of Vozdvyzhenka.
The arrival of the 8th Combined Arms Army densified the operational deployment and formation of enemy forces on the adjacent Toretsk axis. As a result, Russians freed up significant forces from the 51st Army and redeployed them for battles northeast of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration. Several units from the 51st Combined Arms Army were transferred into the Center army group, including the 1st and 9th brigades—considered the most combat-capable within that Combined Arms Army. These units were placed in the area of Rodynske and Fedorivka to bypass Pokrovsk from the north and northeast.
These additional forces gave the Russians the ability to conduct active operations simultaneously on both flanks of the Pokrovsk direction. In addition to attempts to bypass Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk from the north, the aggressor is also pressing on Pokrovsk from the south, from where the sabotage groups entered the city.
