Ukrainian Forces in Trouble on Kurakhove Front
The situation for Ukrainian defense forces on the Kurakhove front is becoming critical. Russian troops are advancing and threatening to surround key positions.
A village called Uspenivka, in Donetsk Oblast, is where things are most at risk. If Ukrainian forces there get surrounded by Russians, they will have to retreat, according to Pavlo Lakiichuk. He is the head of security programs at the Global Strategy Center “Strategy XXI.”
Kurakhove’s fall would be a big problem for Ukraine. It is a key strongpoint that protects the city of Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk is important because it has an industrial area along a main highway, and it helps Ukraine with logistics and defense in the western part of Donetsk Oblast.
Lakiichuk says Russian troops are putting pressure on Ukrainian forces all over the Kurakhove front. However, the situation is worst in the Uspenivka area, where soldiers could get surrounded and have to retreat.
Ukrainian forces may soon leave Kurakhove, as Russians expect this will happen. Lakiichuk analyzed battles on the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk fronts over the past week. He found that fighting on the Kurakhove front has slowed down in recent days. This means Russian troops might be shifting their focus to the Pokrovsk front.
Lakiichuk compared this situation with battles for Bakhmut a year ago, where Russians lost many soldiers. Now, they are losing around 1,500-2,000 soldiers daily during intense battles. He believes this shows that Russia‘s mobilization plans are not working as well as expected.
Many Russian soldiers on the front have only basic training or are unprepared for combat. This makes their losses even higher. Lakiichuk says Ukrainian forces are doing a good job of holding ground, but they need more support to stay safe.
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