By Russia announced on Sunday that its forces have taken full control of Novohrodivka, a town in eastern Ukraine, as part of their ongoing advance towards the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk. This development marks a potential breakthrough in Russian efforts to penetrate Ukrainian defensive lines in the Donbas region.
The Russian defense ministry stated that Novohrodivka, located 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, is now under their control. Pokrovsk serves as a crucial rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area. Before the war, Novohrodivka had a population of 14,000.
Yuri Podolyaka, an influential pro-Russian military blogger, shared maps indicating Russian forces are attacking beyond Novohrodivka, approaching within 7 kilometers (4 miles) of Pokrovsk in at least two locations.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian military described the situation in the Pokrovsk sector as “tense,” reporting “fierce battles” around several towns, including Novohrodivka. Their late afternoon report stated, “So far, the enemy has carried out 23 assaults on Ukrainian positions. Battles are going on in six locations.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed that a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region had failed to slow Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine and had weakened Kyiv’s defenses along the front line. However, Ukraine’s top military commander stated last Thursday that the Kursk incursion was achieving its objectives, including diverting Russian forces from other areas.
Russia currently controls about 80% of the Donbas region, an area approximately half the size of Ohio. The recent speed of Russian advances in the east has led some Russian war bloggers to express concerns about the army potentially overextending itself.
The conflict, which Putin calls a “special military operation,” has been ongoing for more than two and a half years. Ukraine and its Western allies have pledged to defeat Russian forces and expel all Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
As the situation continues to evolve, independent verification of battlefield reports remains challenging due to restrictions on reporting in the war zone.
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