Occupiers will not advance on the Pokrovsk front as long as Kurakhove holds – spokesperson for UVA "South"

The russian occupation forces have already missed all their deadlines for capturing the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk oblast, loudly declared by the russians themselves. Ukraine's Defense Forces are managing to stall the enemy's advance, including through counterattacks. This was stated on December 20 by the representative of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army "South", Serhii Bratchuk, on the air of FREEDOM.

He emphasized the importance of holding key positions in the areas of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk.

"Regarding Kurakhove, it’s clear that this is not only about an attempt to capture the settlement itself but also about continuing the enemy's Pokrovsk offensive on one of the flanks. As long as Kurakhove holds, the enemy will not advance on the Pokrovsk front. That is clear. On the other hand, the enemy has entered Shevchenko, which is also a flanking maneuver they are trying to use for tactical advancement. But strategically, this location likely offers little to the enemy today", - said Bratchuk.

Ukrainian troops are not only defending these areas but also occasionally counterattacking, he added.

"You know that we already have experience in conducting counteroffensive actions on our part. This includes, in particular, Shevchenko, although certain challenges are arising in other directions, specifically in Pisky. The enemy is present in this location and has achieved some tactical successes. However, our counterattacks help stabilize the situation. Not completely – full stabilization on the front is still far off – but enemy advances are stopped for a while", - he stated.

Bratchuk also recalled the russians' bold claims about capturing Pokrovsk.

"In reality, the russians were supposed to capture Pokrovsk by October 1. That was the plan – very loud statements. They officially announced it. We know well that the advancement of russian forces in this direction was indeed significant. The battles continue today. The battles for Pokrovsk itself will likely start later, at least as long as the locations I mentioned hold. Thanks to our comrades for holding these positions under incredibly difficult conditions, despite the enemy's significant superiority in infantry, artillery, and aviation, and for preventing the enemy from advancing faster", - Serhii Bratchuk concluded.