Pokrovsk: Putin's bleeding point - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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Pokrovsk: Putin's bleeding point - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
"For Ukraine, the logic of this war has never changed: make Russia pay dearly for every metre. Force them to bleed for ground, and in Pokrovsk, that strategy is paying dividends. Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk was a town of 80,000, a logistics hub and administrative centre in western Donetsk. Now it's a shattered shell. What remains is not a city, but a position: roads, supply routes, and terrain that shape the wider fight."
"Look at the scale. Ukrainian commanders estimate around 110,000 Russian troops concentrated toward Pokrovsk. Russian daily losses here have reached 700-800 at peak assaults. Ukraine faces manpower strain too, with forces outnumbered roughly eight to one in this direction. And yet Russia still cannot break through quickly, cannot outmanoeuvre Ukrainian engineers and artillery, cannot turn overwhelming numbers into rapid advance."
"The answer lies in optics and desperation. Putin needs a trophy. Russian "victories" have been rare, limited and bought in blood. Pokrovsk offers him something to point at on state TV, a talking point, a symbol, a narrative of progress before winter mud and frost lock the front in place. Politically, he's cornered. His attempt to charm Donald Trump into pressuring Kyiv to hand over territory failed."
Pokrovsk was a town of 80,000 and a logistics and administrative centre in western Donetsk before the full-scale invasion. Intense fighting has reduced it to a shattered shell that functions as a tactical position controlling roads, supply routes and terrain that shape the wider fight. Ukrainian strategy focuses on making Russian forces pay dearly for every metre, causing heavy Russian casualties and slowing advances. Russia has concentrated roughly 110,000 troops in the direction, suffering peak daily losses of 700–800, while Ukrainian forces are locally outnumbered about eight to one. The clash has become industrial-era attrition with significant political and propaganda stakes for Moscow.
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