Ukraine’s Top General Warns of Fierce Fighting as Russian Troops Close In on Strategic City
Ukraine’s top general, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, has warned that his troops are facing “extremely fierce” fighting as Russian forces close in on the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key rail and road hub for Ukraine’s army. Syrsky said that “unconventional decisions” would have to be made to bolster Ukrainian defenses as Russian troops push south of the city, threatening to seize the last two Ukrainian strongholds in the southern part of the Donetsk region.
Russian forces have been advancing at an alarming rate, capturing hundreds of square miles of Ukrainian territory in recent months. According to analysts, they have seized over 600 square miles, roughly twice the size of New York City, almost all of it in the Donetsk region. The pace of advance has accelerated rapidly, with Russia potentially capturing another 200 to 300 square miles by the end of the year.
The situation is critical around Pokrovsk, as Russian forces are advancing through villages and settlements, and only about three miles from the city’s outskirts. Ukraine’s military has lost three positions near Pokrovsk, and the Russians have entered the final village on the southern approach, Shevchenko.
The Ukrainian authorities have suggested that control over Russian territory could be used as a bargaining chip in any peace negotiations, something the Kremlin would like to avoid. The “unconventional decisions” that Syrsky will make to bolster defenses may include surprise offensives, such as those launched in the Kharkiv region in 2022 and in the Kursk region this summer.
The situation is further complicated by the recent launch of a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile, an Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. While the missile was not armed with a nuclear payload, the Kremlin’s decision to launch it in response to Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS against targets in Russia has heightened tensions.
As the situation deteriorates, the Ukrainian government is bracing for the worst, with some analysts predicting that Russia could capture the last Ukrainian strongholds in the southern part of the Donetsk region, including Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka, potentially paving the way for new attacks on the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region.