Ukraine introduces its latest mechanized brigade armed with Leopard 2 tanks, potential reinforcement for Pokrovsk, positioned just prior to Russia's anticipated assault.
Pokrovsk during Christmas felt unsettling. A strategic location in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk used to house 60,000 residents before Russia amplified its conflict against Ukraine in February 2022. Now, there are only a handful of individuals left, mostly dressed in Ukrainian military attire.
As quoted by WarTranslated, who translated a message from volunteer fighter Denys Khrystov, "The city is filled with an uncomfortable quiet... a precursor to the incoming storm."
The storm, in this context, refers to the 90th Guards Tank Division of the Russian military, part of a formidable ground force encompassing several brigades and regiments in two field armies. Estimates suggest this force includes around 70,000 troops, all aiming to seize Pokrovsk, marking the fourth year of the broader war.
In contrast, the Ukrainian forces in and around Pokrovsk are relatively meager. Roughly a dozen brigades, each no larger than 2,000 troops, are defending the city. However, they're receiving crucial assistance.
There are indications that Ukraine's newest battle unit, the 155th Mechanized Brigade, is relocating near Pokrovsk. Equipped with Leopard 2 tanks from Germany and Caesar howitzers from France, the brigade had been honing its skills in France and Poland beforehand.
Russian units are starting to close in on Pokrovsk. Their closest forces are just four miles away from the city. Simultaneously, Russian soldiers are launching attacks across a 800-mile battlefront spread across western Russia and various parts of Ukraine.
In Kursk Oblast, these attacks serve a specific purpose. Elsewhere, they might be indirectly connected to the impending battle for Pokrovsk.
Based on information from the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, Russian forces are advancing south of Pokrovsk to establish a defensive line. This new line could potentially prevent Ukrainian forces further south from reinforcing Pokrovsk or lifting a siege on the city.
The Ukrainians might counter this push by withdrawing a few brigades and battalions—the Donetsk Operational Tactical Group—from a five-mile-by-five-mile salient that protrudes into Russian-occupied territory beyond the newly formed Russian line south of Pokrovsk.
As per the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, "The withdrawal of the Donetsk OTG is imminent. The extent of the front line will reduce, consequently tightening the formation of the operational-tactical group."
Following this anticipated move, there could be one last significant action—a brief Russian advance north of Pokrovsk, aiming to create a partial encirclement of the city—before the main confrontation over the transportation hub commences.
By that time, the 155th Mechanized Brigade should have fully deployed in Pokrovsk with its German tanks, French howitzers, and 2,000 fresh soldiers. Whether these reinforcements will be sufficient to defend the city is one of the significant questions in this phase of the wider war, which has thus far resulted in the deaths and injuries of over a million people, the majority of whom are Russians.
The 155th Mechanized Brigade, with its leopard 2 tanks and Caesar howitzers, is reportedly moving closer to Pokrovsk, aiming to strengthen Ukrainian defenses in the strategic city under threat from Russia's 90th Guards Tank Division. Despite being just four miles away, Russian forces have also advanced south of Pokrovsk, potentially aiming to establish a defensive line and prevent reinforcements from reaching the city.
