According to AP, Ukrainian forces are facing a lot of pressure on the battlefield in the Pokrovsk region due to a serious shortage of manpower and constant attacks by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Pokrovsk is a particularly important hub, home to several highways leading to key cities in the eastern Donetsk region. But Kiev’s military is losing ground around it, AP reports.
Meanwhile, Russia is determined to gain control of as much of Ukraine as possible as the Trump administration pushes for negotiations to end the conflict and recently froze foreign aid to Ukraine, a move that has shocked Ukrainian officials who once considered the United States one of their closest allies.
Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk said Russian forces had changed tactics in recent weeks, moving from a frontal assault to flanking the city in a pincer attack. With Russian forces in control of strategic heights, Ukrainian supply lines were now within striking distance.
In addition, the Russian army has more opportunities to strengthen its forces as Ukrainian soldiers have been unable to use reconnaissance UAVs effectively for many days due to thick fog.
Ukrainian commanders stress that the shortage of reserve forces to maintain the defense line is growing, while new infantry units are not currently deployed for combat duty.
The deputy commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, nicknamed Afer, said that logistics is the most important link in war. Afer continued: “Without logistics, there would be no infantry,” and said that the Russian army is doing this very well.
