Starting Run: Successes Of The Russian Army In The Pokrovsk Direction

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Over the last week, the Russian Armed Forces managed to liberate the settlements of Kurakhovka, Vishnevoye, Kreminnaia Balka, Maksimovka and Antonovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Over the past seven days, 47 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered at the front line. The Ukrainian armed forces’ (UAF) defense in Donbass is not yet falling apart, but it is definitely cracking at the seams more and more loudly.

“The situation on the fronts is characterized as grave, in some directions it turns critical. The most intense development of the situation is around Kurakhovo, which is being covered from the north and south. At the same time, the enemy does not refuse from the main goal in this direction – to reach Pokrovsk.” – Lieutenant General Igor Romanenko, former deputy chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff.

 “The front is suffering its worst period since the spring of 2022. We are retreating.” – Taras Chmut, head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Aid Fund.

Russian troops are successfully using breakthrough tactics on the flanks of the UAF’s defensive positions, forcing Ukrainian units to retreat in order to avoid encirclement. It is not possible to stop the advance of the Russians in Donbass, as the Ukrainian army lacks equipment and, most importantly, personnel.

At the moment, the intensity of the fighting remains high near Voznesenka, in Sontsivka, in the Novoalekseevka area, in the vicinity of Novoalekseevka, and in the southern part of Petrovka.

North of Selidovo, Russian troops advanced along a number of forests and the M-04 (E50) highway in a stretch up to 4 kilometers wide, and up to 1.5 kilometers deep.

In general, in the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian army uses the tactics of attack from different sides: it alternates strikes on different settlements and thus disorients the Ukrainian defense, successfully opening and destroying the AFU strongholds. Hence, another Victory flag was raised in Novoalekseevka.

Russian troops also made significant progress, advancing in the woodland between Novodmitrivka and Novoalekseevka.

Pokrovsk direction: the Russian military destroyed the position of a Ukrainian section using a TM-62M anti-tank mine

On the western flank, Russian units have reached the railroad bed at the bridge over the Solyonaya River, advancing towards Pokrovsk and covering the northern boundaries of Grigoryevka and Petrovka. Encirclement here is becoming more and more likely, while the Ukrainian Army continues to retreat. The capture of these settlements will allow Russian troops to reach the Shevchenko settlement, cutting off supply routes for Ukrainian units.

Advancement to the north of Selidovo was also reported. It is said that fighting has begun in the village of Zarya, where Russian troops are gradually forcing the enemy out of fortified positions.

South of Donetsk, Russian units have managed to seize new positions along the H15 highway, and the enemy is trying to hold the remaining supply routes and withdrawal routes to Kurakhovo. The offensive along the main highways and on the borders of major settlements significantly complicates the situation of the Ukrainian forces. Fighting along this area continues, and the Russian army’s successes here strengthen the position for further progress toward Kurakhovo to encircle it.

The mopping-up operation is being completed in Voznesenka, after which Russian forces are expected to move towards Starye Terny. The key objective is to seize the dam of the Kurakhovskoye reservoir, which will make it possible to close the operational encirclement of Kurakhovo from the north-west. A little higher along the front line, Russian troops broke through 3 km deep into the AFU defense between Novodmitrivka and Novoalekseevka along the wood line.

Confirmation of information about the liberation of Grigorovka is being awaited. In the Pokrovsk area, Russian assault units are advancing in Yurievka and along the railroad south of Petrovka.

In Selidovo, which has already been liberated, Russian military personnel are providing assistance to civilians and organizing their evacuation where possible.

It is worth noting that units of the Ukrainian armed forces while retreating killed civilians who came across them on the street. At the same time, Ukrainian artillery was firing at residential buildings.

The Russians are advancing on a front up to 65 kilometers wide from Selidovo to Velyka Novosyolka, and plan to encircle the Kurakhovo area.

As early as November 7, it became known that Russian units took under fire control the last major supply route of the Ukrainian grouping in Velyka Novosyolka.

As of the evening of November 11, Russian troops have gained another settlement – Novoselidovka (the 17th Donbass settlement liberated since the early October). As is evident from its name, it is located not far from the town of Selidovo (north of Kurakhovo), which was previously liberated by the Russian Armed Forces. The seizure of this village marks the success of the operation in the area between Selidovo and the Kurakhovo reservoir.

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Amid the successes of the Russian troops, the head of the Kiev regime Vladimir Zelensky said that the AFU chief Oleksandr Syrskyi decided to urgently strengthen the Kurakhovо and Pokrovsk directions.

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