Russian Forces Advance in Pokrovsk and Surrounding Villages: A Tense and Evolving Situation
According to the latest reports from the frontline, Russian occupation forces have significantly advanced in the area of Pokrovsk and several neighboring settlements.
Over recent days, they have achieved success in the directions of Pokrovsk, Limanske, and Oleksandrivka (formerly Novopavlivsk).
Analysts from the DeepState informational resource indicate that the enemy is continuing to push forward within Pokrovsk and near the villages of Torske in Donetsk region and Novoivanivka in Zaporizhzhia region.
As of October 18 at 13:13, these territories are under partial control of the Russian forces.
Ukrainian 7th Air Assault Corps spokesman Serhiy Okishev previously reported that the invaders are accumulating personnel and equipment on the southern perimeter of the Pokrovsk-Myrnograd agglomeration and employing infiltration tactics that complicate Ukrainian defensive efforts.
Observers also note that Russian forces are employing a peculiar strategy of creating a so-called ‘gray zone,’ which hinders Ukrainian defenses.
Experts emphasize that fighting around Pokrovsk is becoming increasingly intense, as this city holds strategic significance for the Russians’ further advances westward toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Serhiy Zgurets, director of Defense Express, stressed that control over Pokrovsk is crucial for the Russians, and without it, further movement toward these key cities would be difficult, despite Ukraine’s numerical and technical superiority.