Mastodawn

#Ukraine forces liberated #Priluky #Dobropilia #Varvarivka - all north of #Huliaipole

Interesting things happen on the #Pokrovsk front in #Ukraine - while everyone is talking of the poor situation of the town itself, where #Russia are present in ~80% of the town - doesn’t mean they control it, the whole place is a huge grey zone. Ukraine clearly doesn’t abandon the town, they sent the HUR reinforcements and try to unblock the critical logistics routes.

But much less attention is granted to the #Dobropilia “incursion”, north of Pokrovsk, where ZSU is not only not retreating but actually gaining ground - they liquidated most of the encircled Russian groups in the area and regained Vladimirovka, where Russians have been applying pressure.

This direction is important because expansion of the “incursion” to the north would lead to #Slovyansk and #Kramatorsk. Most importantly, the fact that ZSU are able to selectively conduct successful counterattacks suggests that they are very much in control, just using their resources very cautiously. I wouldn’t be surprised - and I’m not saying it will happen - if Pokrovsk was actually expected to fall at some point, when Ukrainian losses come close to parity with Russian ones, which are massive as they are in constant assault mode. But each day Pokrovsk holds, it increases Russian losses likely at 1:5-1:10 ration and delays the moment they can focus on the Slovyansk defence area.

kravietz 🦇Oct 16

#Russia channels confirmed a rather miserable outcome of their assault on #Shakhovo near #Dobropilia - “tens of killed soldiers, 17 destroyed vehicles”.