Russia Launches Strikes on Ukrainian Infrastructure as Battles Rage Near Pokrovsk
Russia conducted overnight strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure it deems critical to teh war effort, according to a statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The attacks included an oil refinery in Russia’s ryazan region and a military contingent in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region.
Fighting is especially intense around the city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, where 265 clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces occurred in the last 24 hours. Nearly half of thes engagements took place in and around Pokrovsk, a key transportation hub threatened with encirclement by Russian forces for much of the year.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed on November 15th that its forces captured the village of Yablukove in the zaporizhzhya region, though this claim remains unverified.
Ukrainian military leadership is focused on stabilizing the situation around Pokrovsk. General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine’s top military commander, recently visited units defending the city, stating Ukraine’s objectives are to regain control of areas, protect and establish supply and evacuation routes. “There is no question of Russian control over the city of Pokrovsk or of the operational encirclement of Ukraine’s defence forces in the area,” Syrskiy said during his November 13th visit.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he would support a withdrawal from Pokrovsk if commanders on the ground deem it necessary, prioritizing the safety of Ukrainian soldiers. “No one is forcing them to die for the sake of ruins. I will support our soldiers, especially the commanders who are there, in how they can control the situation, or if it’s too expensive for us. The most meaningful thing for us is our soldiers,” Zelenskyy told Bloomberg in a recent interview.
Russian forces have reportedly pushed Ukrainian troops out of surrounding towns and villages south of Pokrovsk, which currently has a population of approximately 7,000, a significant decrease from the over 60,000 residents before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Capturing the area around Pokrovsk would provide Russia with a strategic foothold to launch further offensives towards Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, the two largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in the donetsk region.
The Institute for the Study of War,a Washington-based think tank,assessed that Russian forces are continuing to advance around Pokrovsk,but the extent of their strategic gain will depend on how Ukraine responds and manages a potential withdrawal. “Russian forces will likely collapse the pocket around pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, but the significance of seizing these towns will depend on the circumstances and conduct of the Ukrainian withdrawal,” the Institute reported on November 14th.
