11:37 18-08-2025

Ukrainian Commander Admits Russian Breakthrough Near Pokrovsk

Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi admits Russian troops achieved a breakthrough near Pokrovsk, citing terrain challenges and small-group assault tactics.

Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has acknowledged that Russian forces managed to push through Ukrainian defenses near Krasnoarmiisk — now known by its Ukrainian name, Pokrovsk. He attributed the setback to the difficult terrain and the lack of a continuous defensive line in the area.

Syrskyi explained that the landscape itself played a decisive role. The region, he said, is cut by ravines and rivers, features that make it possible for troops to move undetected. In summer, dense vegetation further complicates surveillance, making it difficult to maintain control along the front.

The commander also pointed to Moscow’s tactical approach, which he described as a «strategy of a thousand cuts." Instead of relying on large-scale offensives, Russian units have been advancing with small assault groups spread across a broad stretch of the front. These attacks, according to Syrskyi, are hard to anticipate and steadily wear down Ukrainian defenses.

This is not the first time the Ukrainian general has warned of mounting challenges. Earlier, he conceded that the overall situation on the battlefield remains extremely difficult for Kyiv’s forces. Russian troops continue to press their offensive, focusing in particular on the Pokrovsk and Zaporizhzhia sectors.