According to the Ukrainian military, “Moscow managed to take advantage of Kyiv’s decision to redirect its troops to the Kursk region.” Kyiv’s plan with the Kursk offensive was to force Russia to transfer some of its troops from the Donetsk region, “however, this did not happen.” Instead, Russian forces continued their slow but steady offensive, approaching the strategically important city of Pokrovsk and encircling Vugledar. The threat of Ukrainian troops being encircled emerged in several areas of the front.
The FT primarily attributes the Russian army’s success to a significant advantage in troop numbers and firepower. In addition, Russia took its mistakes into account and changed tactics: It now conducts numerous attacks carried out by small infantry groups.
Experts say that the aggressor is advancing slowly in the Donetsk region, and its successes equate to large losses.
British intelligence also confirmed that the offensive near Pokrovsk is slowing down, although Russian troops are already only 8 km from the city.