Russia wants to urgently capture Pokrovsk due to its failed offensive and losses near Dobropillia – Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian leadership has ordered its troops to urgently capture the city of Pokrovsk following Ukraine's successful counteroffensive and heavy Russian losses near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform

Quote: "The [Dobropillia – ed.] counteroffensive operation is ongoing. We believe it is very difficult, but very timely, and we consider it successful. We believe this operation has disrupted Russia's summer offensive campaign."

Details: Zelenskyy explained that the counteroffensive has also derailed all the plans that the Russians had communicated to the American side, namely that they would have occupied most of Donbas by November.

"They initially said by September, then postponed the deadline to November. This operation has definitely influenced the defence of Pokrovsk. Realising their heavy losses near Dobropillia, the Russians have now been ordered to take Pokrovsk urgently, at any cost," Zelenskyy said.

He added that in recent days, Russia has been losing over 100 soldiers per day, sometimes up to 200. According to Zelenskyy, intense fighting continues on the Novopavlivka front on the border of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts: the Ukrainian Armed Forces have completely liberated four villages, and battles are ongoing for another four. On the Lyman front in northern Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian defence forces are trying to regain lost positions and hold back the Russians.

Zelenskyy noted that supplies for the troops are sufficient overall, but there is a shortage of drones – particularly, he said, the Russians have "significantly more" fibre-optic UAVs.

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