Russian Troops Surrender After Another Failed Pokrovsk Assault

There are growing signs that the morale of Russian forces on the Pokrovsk front has declined even further as casualties rise and their glacial progress brings more criticism from the Kremlin. 

As a result, reports indicate that incidents of entire units surrendering or deserting have significantly increased. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

Ukrainian defenders of the 3rd Brigade captured a group of Russian forces on the Pokrovsk front on Feb. 7. Russian mercenaries attempted an assault but, after coming under heavy fire, took shelter in a private house. Unable to continue fighting or retreat, they voluntarily surrendered. The only survivor from his assault group wandered between houses for six days. When he realized no help was coming, he decided to surrender.  On Feb. 2, reports emerged that an entire group of troops from Russia’s 1437th Motorized Rifle Regiment had fled the front near Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian defenders captured a group of Russian occupation forces on the Pokrovsk front, the Spartan 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine reported on Feb. 7.

According to National Guard troops, a group of five Russian mercenaries attempted an assault but, after coming under heavy fire, took shelter in a private house. Unable to continue fighting or retreat, they voluntarily surrendered.

“Another Russian soldier—the only survivor from his assault group—wandered between houses for six days. When he realized no help was coming, he decided to surrender,” Ukrainian troops said, releasing footage of the incident.

 

As a result, Ukrainian forces added six more Russian soldiers to the “exchange fund.”

 

On Jan. 10, Pokrovsk’s military administration chief, Serhii Dobriak, said the frontline was just a few kilometers from the city, with nearly all critical infrastructure destroyed.

On Jan. 12, the military reported that Russian forces had changed tactics in the area, attempting to bypass the city from the south and west to advance into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

On Jan. 18, Ukraine’s Khortytsia military group denied reports that Russian forces had entered Pokrovsk.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Ukrainian forces were making maximum efforts to defend the city.

As of Jan. 29, around 7,000 residents remained in Pokrovsk.

On Jan. 31, Reuters reported that if Russian forces captured the city, they could use it as a staging ground for an offensive toward the north or west.

 

On Feb. 2, reports emerged that an entire group of Russian occupiers—troops from Russia’s 1437th Motorized Rifle Regiment—had fled the front near Pokrovsk.

On Feb. 6, Khortytsia military group spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said Russian forces had suffered 7,000 irreversible losses on the Pokrovsk front in January—more casualties than in the entire Second Chechen War.