Russian troops are said to be moving almost everywhere in the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, as declared by the Russian Chief of General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov. The action is going on amid intense combat around the strategic town of Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmeysk), where Moscow claims that Ukrainian troops are trying to stop the progress, unsuccessfully.
In the course of the inspection of Russian units in the Krasnoarmeysk sector on 17th September, Gerasimov emphasized a number of the existing activities:
Kupyansk and Krasnolimansk Directions: The Russian troops have continued to push toward Kupyansk in northeastern Kharkiv, and their operations in the Krasnolimansk direction have drawn the Russian troops to the edge of freeing Kirovsk.
Pokrovsk Sector: Gerasimov claimed that Ukrainian troops reinforced their strongest units in this sector, and this move enabled Russian forces to achieve gains in other directions.
Seversk and Aleksandro-Kalinovka: Yug Battlegroup Assault troops are heading to Seversk, and a battle is underway north of Konstantinovka, with Russian troops said to have entered Plescheyevka.
Kleban-Byk Reservoir: Russian troops are still working to get rid of Ukrainian troops that are stuck in the south of the reservoir.
Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Regions: The Vostok Battlegroup is moving forward in the regions.
Contribution of Naval Infantry: Gerasimov also commended the contribution of the Naval Infantry towards the realization of the operational goals.
In the visit to the Tsentr Battlegroup, Gerasimov heard reports about operations made by commanders and offered military troops whose personal courage in the continuous efforts to restore control over Ukrainian-controlled territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The Russian Defence Ministry also reported the most intense fighting in the area of Pokrovsk, which the Russian authorities call an important logistics point. Moscow says that the continued work there has been ongoing for months, and it is part of a wider offensive in the eastern region of Donetsk and to the west of it, more towards Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk.
These reports, however, differ from Ukrainian ones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russian troops intend to launch additional offensive operations, but recent attacks have not been very successful. Ukrainian commanders and independent tracking through military blogs indicate that they have repelled attacks around Pokrovsk and kidnapped prisoners in unsuccessful Russian attempts around Kupiansk.
