Russian forces in recent days punched through Ukraine’s defensive line near its key stronghold Pokrovsk, a city in the eastern Donetsk province, according to news reports on Tuesday.
The breakthrough—Russia’s biggest in many months—comes ahead of a Friday summit in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The timing suggests Moscow is pushing for battlefield gains to enhance its bargaining position in peace talks. Putin has demanded that Kiev cede the entire Donetsk province, including parts that Ukraine still controls.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday evening that Russia was “redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations.”
Russian troops now nearly surround Pokrovsk, which had served as a logistics hub for Ukrainian troops. Kiev may need to order a withdrawal from the semi-encircled swath of territory or risk exposing its forces there to capture or bombardment.
The post Russians Break Through Ukrainian Line Near Strategic City Pokrovsk appeared first on The American Conservative.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Andrew Day
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, http://www.theamericanconservative.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
