Russian troops are redeploying their units and raising additional forces to intensify their offensive on the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. This is stated in a recent report by analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to analysts, Russia's Central Group of Forces formed a strike group from units of the 2nd and 41st combined armies south of Pokrovsk as part of ongoing efforts to intensify the offensive south and southwest of the city.
At the same time, one of the Ukrainian commanders noted that the Russian military command is accumulating forces for an offensive west of Pokrovsk, however, Russian troops are not advancing directly south of the city and are currently focused on blocking the railway line between Kotlyn and Udarny.
According to analysts, the decision of the Russian military command to concentrate forces south of Pokrovsk indicates that Russian troops may reconsider their tactical goals in the direction of Pokrovsk and create conditions for more profitable ways of advancing closer to the immediate flanks of the city.
It is also reported that the Russian military command recently redeployed some units from the Kurakhiv direction for offensive operations east of Pokrovsk.
"The Russian military command may reduce the priority of offensive operations in the Kurakhovo direction and transfer forces from Kurakhovo to strengthen the Pokrov direction now that the Russian forces have achieved their goal of capturing Kurakhovo," ISW believes.
However, it is unclear whether the Russian units that recently participated in the fighting for Kurakhov have recovered to the point where they can operate effectively on the current front line in Pokrovsk.
Analysts estimate that Russian troops will most likely continue to achieve success in capturing Pokrovsk from the northeast and southwest, especially if they can identify and exploit the tactical vulnerabilities of the Ukrainian defense along the flanks of Pokrovsk:
"However, the pace of such an advance will most likely remain slow, as Russian forces have not demonstrated the ability to carry out the rapid mechanized maneuver necessary to penetrate Ukrainian defense lines and quickly encircle the significant forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Pokrovsk."
Pokrovsk - news
Viktor Tregubov, the spokesman of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group of troops, stated that there are no Russian invaders in Pokrovsk, while in the towns south of Pokrovsk - Elizavetivka, Promin, Lysivka, Zelene - there are constant battles with the enemy.
Mykola Koval, the head of the press service of the 14th assault brigade of the Chervona Kalina State University, said that the Russian invaders are trying to bypass Pokrovsk from the left and right flanks, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulse 50-70 assaults in this direction every day.
