Ukraine is losing a key battle: Russia is close to capturing Pokrovsk, — The Economist

Russia is close to defeating the vital Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Despite Ukraine attacking Russia, it is losing yet another key battle.

This is reported by The Economist.

According to The Economist, Ukraine had high hopes for an unexpected offensive in the Kursk region, which was supposed to relieve pressure. However, Russia’s advance has accelerated instead.

Pokrovsk, with a population of 59,000, has been on the front line almost since the beginning of the war. But only in the last month has its future been under serious threat. Russia views its capture as a strategic goal, opening up an offensive towards the major cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine’s great hope was that the unexpected offensive in Kursk would relieve the pressure. But Russia’s advance has accelerated.

According to the publication, Pokrovsk is preparing for an unpleasant new phase of the war. The regional police and local administration have left. Two supermarkets have closed, and the others are likely to follow suit. Local residents are queuing outside banks and pension offices, hurrying to complete their business while they still can. Inside the city, cars are speeding through the streets. On August 19, authorities urged residents to leave the city. Many are heeding the advice, leaving with suitcases filled with family heirlooms; some are fleeing with refrigerators, Christmas trees, sofas, armchairs, and mattresses.

Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka in February and the failed rotation in nearby Ocheretyne in May laid the groundwork for the offensive on Pokrovsk. Russia is now just 10 kilometers away from the city.

How long the defenders of Pokrovsk will hold out is unknown. It may take the Russians weeks or months to capture such distant cities as Myrnohrad, Selidove, and Ukrainsk, which are currently being harassed by drones, artillery, and bombers. The advance slowed on August 19, says Oleksandr, the commander of a UAV unit from the 110th Brigade, who monitors the battlefield on screens. But the Russians have a habit of striking at weak points with devastating effect, he warns. The fall of Pokrovsk, like Mariupol, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka, seems only a matter of time.

What happens next is an open question. Control over Pokrovsk and a short advance to the administrative borders of the Donetsk region might be enough for Vladimir Putin to claim a political victory and start serious negotiations. Perhaps not. Much will depend on whether Ukraine can hold onto parts of Russia it currently occupies as bargaining chips in these future negotiations.