Pokrovsk offensive

Pokrovsk offensive
Part of the eastern Ukraine campaign of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date 18 July 2024 – present (4 weeks and 1 day) Location Pokrovsk Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Andrey Mordvichev	Oleksandr Syrskyi
Units involved
Order of battle	Order of battle

The Pokrovsk offensive is an ongoing military operation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces with the goal of capturing the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. Fighting began with the capture of Prohres on 19 July, a turning point for the Russian offensive northwest of Avdiivka following the latter's capture in February 2024, and has taken place in numerous settlements east of Pokrovsk in Pokrovsk Raion.

Background

Main articles: Battle of Avdiivka (2023–2024) § Aftermath, Battle of Ocheretyne, and Eastern Ukraine campaign § Russian spring and summer campaign (April 2024–present)

Following the Russian success in the battle of Avdiivka, their forces significantly advanced north and northwest of the city to form a salient in the succeeding months. The success in the battle of Ocheretyne, fought over a city northwest of Avdiivka, led to further gains in the months leading up to July 2024.

Offensive

Early stages (18–31 July)

On 17 July 2024, fighting began over Prohres, a village in central Donetsk Oblast, and Russian forces entered it the following day, in their first major advancement directly towards the city of Pokrovsk. On 19 July, Prohres was captured by Russia in an engagement reportedly lasting only 48 hours. The breakthrough, reportedly caused by heavy airstrikes which led to the collapse and subsequent retreat of the 110th and 47th Mechanized Brigades, allowed for quick advances along a previously stable frontline. Two days prior, Russian forces had reportedly advanced up to the settlement of Lozuvatske, north of Prohres, and began contesting it. DeepStateMap.Live showed the same day a Russian advance to occupy most of the village; on 20 July, Russian troops began encircling the area between the two villages, and according to some sources, surrounded multiple Ukrainian companies by 24 July, which according to Forbes was "potentially hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers" of two battalions of the 31st Mechanized Brigade. These soldiers, according to David Axe, however managed to escape the encirclement around 26 July with the help of coordinated artillery and drone strikes. Forbes additionally reported that the 47th Brigade lost two M1 Abrams tanks during the engagement around Prohres and that Ukrainian forces had suffered high casualties.

On 25 July, Russia began advancing west of Prohres along a railway towards Vesele. This was followed by the capture of Lozuvatske around 26 July, Vovche around 27 July, and Novoselivka Persha, southeast of Prohres, around 29 July. The Russian advances following the capture of Prohres and the "tense and difficult" situation east of Pokrovsk were attributed to a lack of Ukrainian manpower and equipment, deficient training, and decreased morale.

Push towards Hrodivka and Novohrodivka (1 August – present)

On 1 August, Russian forces reportedly entered the outskirts of Zhelanne and Ivanivka, and between 1–4 August, captured Vesele. Russian milbloggers also claimed further advances within Ivanivka the same day. Fighting continued in the sector on 5 and 6 August, and the increased rate of Russian advances, according to Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, made the front the most active across the frontline by early August as Russia's main offensive goal. Russia reportedly captured Serhiivka on 7 August, and began advancing towards the town of Hrodivka, the capture of which would allow for artillery strikes on Pokrovsk itself. On 9 August, the UK Defense Ministry reported that Pokrovsk was only 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) away from the frontline.

Amidst Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, fighting near Pokrovsk increased around 13 August, with a reported increase to 52 battles in a day in the area, greater than a third of all engagements across the frontline; a representative of the 110th Mechanized Brigade stated that the situation near Pokrovsk had deteriorated since Ukraine's incursion, attributed to shortages in ammunition and continual Russian offensive efforts. On 13 August, Russia reportedly entered Hrodivka and aligned the frontline with the Kazennyi Torets river in the north, in the process capturing Ivanivka, Lysychne, and Svyrdonivka. A Ukrainian official told Agence France-Presse that the incursion into Kursk had little effect on fighting in the east but that the "intensity of Russian attacks" had decreased slightly over the weekend. A Ukrainian lieutenant corroborated the report of fighting in Hrodivka, and said that "everything is very grim on the Pokrovsk front", while another Ukrainian soldier said that Russian forces were ordered to seize Myrnohrad, a city east of Pokrovsk. On 14 August, Russia continued advancing, seizing Zhelanne, southeast of Hrodivka, and in the direction of Novohrodivka, seizing Orlivka and reportedly entering Mykolaivka and Zhuravka. On 15 August, Ukraine was reported to be pulling reserve forces in order to prepare to defend Pokrovsk.

Also on 15 August, Serhii Dobriak, the head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration, reported that Russian forces were only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the city, saying that Russia was "almost right up close to our community", and urged all citizens to evacuate. The same day, a Ukrainian soldier reported that Russian forces had a 10–1 advantage over Ukraine east of Pokrovsk in terms of infantry and were relentlessly conducting assaults on Ukrainian positions throughout the whole day.

Analysis

Strategic value

Pokrovsk has been described as a strategically significant city due to its role as a supply hub; it stands as the intersection of two supply highways, one of which leads towards key inwards cities in Donetsk Oblast, including Chasiv Yar and Kostiantynivka.