Russia advances between key towns of Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian military says
Russian troops advanced between the towns of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast as the Russian summer offensive campaign continues, Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, confirmed on July 27 in an interview with Suspilne.
Russian forces have tried to capture Pokrovsk, a strategic front-line town in the east, for many months.
In mid-June, the Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState reported Russian advances near Kostiantynivka, about 47 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of the embattled town.
According to Tregubov, the Pokrovsk direction remains the key vector of the Russian offensive, where Russia has concentrated most of its troops.
"There has been some progress on their part in Pokrovsk, a partial wedge between Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. They are trying to develop it, while our troops are trying to destroy as much manpower and equipment as possible, slow down the offensive, and push them back," Tregubov said.
The spokesperson stressed that there is no immediate threat of a direct Russian assault on Pokrovsk, as such an attack would incur heavy losses for Russian forces, which are instead trying to bypass the town and encircle it.
"There is no particular point in entering the town at this time, except to complicate the situation for Ukrainian drone operators, forcing them to retreat slightly rather than engage in the destruction of Russian forces," Tregubov said.
"Despite all the forces they currently have, they still do not have enough people to repeat the human wave assaults that took place in Mariupol and Bakhmut. They would simply be completely wasted. That is why they are trying to take partial control of the city."
Russia has been escalating assaults in the Pokrovsk sector in recent weeks as it attempts to break through to the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported in June that Russia had amassed 111,000 troops near the town.
On July 18, a Russian sabotage group attempted to break through to Pokrovsk but was repelled, according to Syrskyi. Four days later, DeepState and soldiers on the ground said that Russian forces entered the town, and that a "search and destruction" operation was ongoing.
Some 1,380 residents remain in Pokrovsk and 2,700 in the surrounding areas, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on July 23. He added that the town is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster, as relentless Russian shelling has made it increasingly difficult to deliver water and food to residents.
