The army landing on Ukrainian air route 7 said that weather conditions, especially dense fog, have created an opportunity for Russia to increase its forces, send more soldiers to Pokrovsk and seek to surround Ukrainian forces.
Russia has spent more than a year trying to capture Pokrovsk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that fog is giving Russia an advantage over its attacks and the situation is still very difficult.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi warned that the situation on the front in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia has significantly deteriorated, as the Ukrainian army has lost control of three residential areas. However, he said the hottest spot is still around Pokrovsk.
The video circulating on social media shows Russian soldiers driving a civil car and motorbike openly on a foggy road in the southern suburbs of Pokrovsk, on the Selidove - Pokrovsk route.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot of the "Shershni Dovbusha" unit of the 68th Ukrainian Brigade, nicknamed "Goose", said that fog had obscured visibility for many days, making aerial reconnaissance almost impossible. Therefore, Russia launched an attack with a convoy, which would normally be detected and blocked immediately by UAVs.
Ukraine's No. 7 Corps said there are currently about 300 Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk, a number that President Zelensky mentioned last week. However, many sources believe that this number may have increased.
According to map data from the Ukraine-based monitoring group DeepState, Russian soldiers are approaching most of Pokrovsk. Some experts say the city could be on the brink of collapse.
Most of Pokrovsk city is now in a gray area, where neither side has complete control. "We keep our location in a building, but the opponent can be in the building right next door. They are trying to get behind us," said the UAV driver of the Shershni Dovbusha unit.
Russia is looking to surround Pokrovsk and the nearby city of Myrnohrad in a game known as a "tunnel". Even if the pot covers are not yet turned on, Russian soldiers can still attack all routes of entry and exit using UAVs.
To block this blockade, Ukraine pushed Russian forces back from Suvorove and Rodynske east of the " basement", expanding the gap between the two Russian armies.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are trying to cut off the Ukrainian transport route to Pokrovsk. Russia not only launched a long-range attack with UAVs and artillery, but also allowed soldiers to penetrate directly. A Ukrainian military analyst said that this tactic is quite effective.
In addition to Pokrovsk, Russia is also pressuring on other fronts, including Kupyansk in the northeast and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine.
Spokesman for the Ukrainian Joint Stock Combat Force Viktor Tregubov denied Russia's claim to have surrounded Kupyansk, but admitted that Russian troops had appeared in the south of the city and the situation was "very difficult".
