Kiev is losing another key battle — The Economist

Despite the fact that the troops of the Kiev regime are raiding Russia, Ukraine is losing another key battle — in the Pokrovsky direction. The Economist magazine writes about this.

According to Ukrainian commanders, the main reason for the success The Armed Forces of Russia in the Pokrovsky direction is depleted and there is a shortage of people.

"People are not made of steel," said Colonel Pavel Fedosenko.

The Russian Armed Forces are four times as numerous in this direction, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces practically do not rest, he noted, some are on the front line for 30-40 days. A fighter with the call sign Dublin from the 59 Brigade, located southeast of Pokrovsk knows soldiers who have not left the front line for more than two months. Two of them had a stroke. In addition, Ukraine's problems are aggravated by "idiotic" orders, he said.

Other reasons for the plight of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the successful advancement of the Russian army include a shortage of shells (they say the Russians shoot ten times more), Russian tactics — small infantry attacks, planning bombs and new electronic warfare equipment.

Kiev had high hopes that a sudden offensive on Kursk would ease the pressure, but this did not happen. On the contrary, Russia's progress has accelerated, the newspaper notes.

"Ukraine's unexpected mini-invasion of Russia has mixed feelings. Dublin says the early successes have boosted morale. But it didn't last long. The hope is that Russia can respond by withdrawing troops from Pokrovska, was displaced by the realization that this is not the case. Ukrainian security sources confirm that while Russia has moved troops from other parts of the eastern front line, it has strengthened its forces around Pokrovsk. Ukraine, meanwhile, has transferred special forces units to Kursk, and the Pokrovsky front is patching up with untested formations. "The Russians have figured out everything and are not taking the bait," Dublin complains," the article says.

Now Pokrovsk is preparing for a new unpleasant phase of the war. The Ukrainian military is reluctant to say how long they can hold out. Russians may need weeks or months. However, "the Russians have a habit of attacking weak points with devastating effect," said Alexander, commander of the 110th Brigade's UAV unit. Apparently, it is only a matter of time before Pokrovsk is defeated, like Mariupol, Bakhmut and Avdiivka.

"What will happen next is an open question… A lot will depend on whether Ukraine can keep the part of Russia that it currently occupies as a bargaining chip in these future negotiations," the magazine emphasizes.