Ukraine remains at risk of new losses in the Donetsk region due to the offensive of Russian troops, who have strengthened their positions and are actively moving west. According to the influential publication The Times, such cities as Kurakhove and Pokrovsk are now on the front line and may suffer a similar fate as Bakhmut and Avdiyivka.
The authors of the article note that Russia is confidently advancing in the Donetsk region, but its progress is now measured in yards, not miles. However, residents of Kurakhov and Pokrovsk are worried that they may soon share the fate of nearby towns such as Chasiv Yar, Avdiyivka and Bakhmut, which were burned to the ground by the Kremlin's military machine.
Both cities are important transport and logistics hubs, and their capture would bring Vladimir Putin's forces closer to their goal of occupying all of Donbas.
Journalists note that Ukrainian defenders have so far managed to prevent a large-scale breakthrough of Russian troops in the region. But Western weapons cannot solve all of Ukraine's problems on the battlefield: the army suffers from a desperate shortage of personnel, and its troops at the front are exhausted.
The Times cites the words of Major Ivan Skuratovskyi, who is pessimistic about Ukraine's long-term prospects if the West does not intensify its participation in the war. "We are told on television that the situation is under control, but I understand that nothing is under control. The enemy is crawling forward. So far we have stopped him here, but we cannot stop him completely, it is impossible," said the soldier.
He emphasizes that Russia is very strong and still maintains its superiority. "We need enormous help now. I don't understand what the United Nations is waiting for. Why does it not introduce a peacekeeping contingent? If this contingent is attacked by the Russians, then NATO troops should be sent," said the soldier.
