Ukrainian defences in Donbas risk getting steamrolled by Russian advance
As Russian troops chart a steady advance in east Ukraine, worn-down Ukrainian forces are struggling to plug holes in their front-line defences. At stake is the “fortress” town of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that could give Russia a clear pathway to advance in the Donetsk region and beyond.
On the front lines in Donbas, the situation “remains difficult”, Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrsky said in a Telegram message on November 2. Ukrainian forces there are “holding back one of the most powerful Russian offensives since the beginning of the full-scale invasion”, he added.
A renewed push by Russian forces that began in springtime now seems to be bearing fruit in east Ukraine.
The Russian army advanced 478 km² into Ukrainian territory in October, according to an AFP study analysing data from the American thinktank the Institute for the Study of War. This is the largest advance it has made since the early days of the full-scale offensive in Ukraine in spring 2022.
‘A war of attrition’
In recent months, Russian forces have maintained “a huge continuous offensive and continuous pressure” in east Ukraine, says Gustav Gressel, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
According to Aliyev, “poor organisation” of troops is one of the biggest problems the Ukrainian army faces.
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
Read also:
Russia targets Kyiv with mass drone attack, Ukraine says
Some 8,000 North Korean troops at Ukraine border could enter combat 'in coming days', US says
