NATO Intelligence on the Situation in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad: Capturing the frontline will not mean collapse

The North Atlantic Alliance's intelligence assessment of the situation in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, Donetsk region, indicates a difficult position in the cities, but their possible loss will not mean the collapse of Ukrainian defense. This follows from the words of a senior NATO official at a briefing before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, the correspondent of LIGA.net in Brussels.

The official noted that over the past few weeks, Russian troops have continued to prioritize the capture of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, but added that their actions in this area have recently slowed to a "walking pace." He also stated that the occupiers' actions in Kupiansk and Sumy region have slowed down significantly, but noted the acceleration of the invaders' operations in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

According to him, Russian troops are continuing "intensive efforts" to capture Pokrovsk, a former key logistics center for Ukraine in support of its military operations in Donbas.

The city continues to account for the largest share of daily attacks by the occupiers compared to the rest of the front line, and Ukraine is seeking to deplete Russian resources as much as possible, the top official explained.

It is likely, he added, that Ukraine still retains a limited ability to conduct small raids in the northern part of the city as it fights to prevent Russia from gaining full control of the city and delay "Russian efforts to consolidate there."

The senior official claimed that Russian troops currently control more than 95% of Pokrovsk, and a large part of it was destroyed by Russian bombardment: if the town is captured, the occupiers are likely to use it as a springboard for attacks on other cities in Donetsk region.

He also noted that in this case, Pokrovsk would serve as a base for further operations of Russian UAVs.

Regarding Myrnohrad, the top official claimed that the city was probably "almost completely" surrounded: "Russian troops continue to penetrate the city and drop large amounts of ammunition on Ukrainian positions. Ukrainian troops are likely still conducting defensive operations inside the city, and the only supply corridor to Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk in the west is now severely disrupted, and Ukrainian troops are relying on drone drops, which is becoming increasingly difficult due to adverse weather conditions."

Ukraine did not confirm the encirclement of Myrnohrad. Earlier, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reportedthe Ukrainian Defense Forces are organizing additional logistics routes in the areas of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad to supply everything necessary to Ukrainian positions.

The NATO official also emphasized that if the capture of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad takes place, it will not mean an imminent collapse of Ukrainian defense, which NATO believes is unlikely in the short term.

"After the failure of the Russian offensive in the summer, Ukrainian forces built new defensive lines west of Pokrovsk, in the western part of Dnipropetrovsk region and in other areas. These fortified lines allow Ukrainian forces to adequately retreat and pursue an active defense strategy along their borders," he concluded.

• The same top NATO official said that the capture of the part of the Donetsk region controlled by Ukrainian defenders is not realistic for the Russians for at least a year.