Syrsky on Russia's strategic offensive at the front: the idea of Russian success in Pokrovsk is false

Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the Russian Federation is conducting a strategic offensive on the frontline, but after the counteroffensive by the Defense Forces, the idea that the Russians have captured almost everything and will soon finish the operation in Pokrovsk is not true. The military commander said this in an interview with of the New York Post tabloid.

According to Syrskyi, despite the fact that Russian forces are using all possible means to break through the Ukrainian defense, Kyiv is persistently holding Pokrovsk, which is important from a logistical point of view.

"The situation on the front line is really tense, the enemy is conducting a strategic offensive operation. They have gathered most of their forces, creating an advantage in an attempt to break through our defense line... to seize this territory," the military commander noted.

Although Russian state television and social media propagandists claim that Pokrovsk has fallen and Ukrainians are trapped, Syrskyi noted that the situation is the opposite after counteroffensive by the Defense Forces, which cost the occupiers about 13,000 personnel losses and allowed Ukrainian troops to liberate more than 427.34 square kilometers.

We are talking about Dobropole operation. Previously, the chief reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated 188 square kilometers, and another 248.7 square kilometers were cleared of occupants' sabotage and reconnaissance groups (436.7 square kilometers in total).

"They continue to show this territory on their maps as if it were under their control. This notion – that the enemy has captured almost everything and is about to complete the operation – is not true," the Armed Forces chief emphasized.

He also noted that the invaders' goal is to surround Pokrovsk and neighboring towns from the north, south and east, cutting off supply lines and displacing all remaining civilians as part of Moscow's latest attempt to seize the entire Donetsk region.

As the Kremlin burns through funds to pay high salaries to mobilized and mercenaries, some analysts question how long Moscow can continue to send soldiers to their deaths without resorting to conscription, which would be unpopular and politically damaging to the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the media said.

"Our task is to see that their level of mobilization of people will be equal to or less than the number of losses they suffer. They have been conducting these active offensives for two months now without any tangible success," noted Syrskyi.

For months, the Ukrainians have been building fortifications around cities to reduce the effectiveness of heavy equipment such as tanks, NYP reports.

"There is a difference between the need to defend yourself in an open field and in urban areas. Our urban areas are capable of deterring huge masses of enemy troops," the сhief of the Armed Forces emphasized.

• Meanwhile, on November 10, the 7th Airborne Corps reported that the Russians had increased the number of assaults on Ukrainian positions in the Pokrovsk agglomeration by almost 20% and trying to move towards Hryshyno.