On January 29, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to the proposal to temporarily suspend attacks on Kiev and cities for a week. This move was made on a humanitarian basis as the weather in the region is entering a period of severe cold, with temperatures forecast to drop to -13 degrees Celsius.
However, military observers believe that this "energy ceasefire" agreement is understood to be limited to civilian infrastructure targets in major cities. On the front lines, especially the strategic Pokrovsk area (Donetsk province), the Russian army still maintains a high combat pace to ensure the set military targets.
Reports from the field show that Russia is significantly increasing the frequency of air and artillery operations in this area. According to data recorded by the Ukrainian side, if at the beginning of the week there were only about 2 to 3 approaches to targets per day, in the past 24 hours, this number has increased to 30 approaches.
This increase in firepower is assessed by experts as a systematic preparation usually seen before deploying large-scale attacks. This shows Moscow's high concentration on definitively resolving the strongholds in Pokrovsk.
Russian forces are also showing good adaptability to weather and terrain conditions. Taking advantage of the snow beginning to melt, making hidden positions more visible, Russian units have increased the use of low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to reconnaissance and control the enemy's movement routes.
Notably, Russian artillery units are carrying out the movement of formations close to the boundary line. This bold move not only helps optimize the range, increase accuracy but also creates direct pressure, forcing enemy defense units to retreat deeply or disperse forces.
The actual developments show a clear separation in the current strategy: Flexibility in diplomacy with the Trump administration to minimize impact on civilians during the cold spell, but still resolutely and maintaining enormous military pressure on key fronts such as Pokrovsk.
