Russian forces intensify push towards Pokrovsk, threatening key Ukrainian supply routes

As of today, the Pokrovsk front remains one of the hottest battle zones on the front line. On July 21, reports emerged of Russian troops advancing towards the village of Zvereve, which borders the outskirts of Pokrovsk city. Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have moved closer to Pokrovsk from the settlements of Peshchane and Shevchenko, creating a "gray zone" in Zverev. This is evidenced by updated cartographic data from DeepState.

The direction of the Russian forces' offensive suggests they are advancing through the lowlands towards Zvereve, moving in the direction of two spoil heaps. While the adversary finds itself in a disadvantageous position, the area south of Zelenivka also borders Pokrovsk. This higher ground could potentially be used to establish firing positions targeting Pokrovsk.

Despite being marked as a "gray zone" on maps, there have been reports from Ukrainian military sources about Russian sabotage groups' attempts to infiltrate this section of the front line. However, it remains unclear whether the presence of the "gray zone" is linked to the actions of Russian saboteurs on this front. On July 20, the press service of Operational Groupp "Donetsk" reported that small groups of Russian assault forces attempted to infiltrate the city only to be eliminated before reaching their objective.

The situation remains under full control, as Russian attempts to penetrate the city end in failures, with sabotage groups being neutralized at the approaches to Pokrovske.

On the northern flank of the Pokrovsk front, the Russians have amassed more troops and resources. According to Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for the Operational Group "Khortitsa," the Russians are attempting to push towards Kostiantynivka and potentially flank Pokrovsk from the sides through Myrnohrad, posing the risk of creating a semi-encirclement on a large section of the Pokrovsk front.

This analysis is corroborated by international sources as well. French OSINT analyst Clément Molino suggests that the most significant threat to Ukrainian defense is the Russian attempts to seize control of Pokrovske's supply routes. This involves taking control of the settlements of Udachne and Rodynske, which would allow the enemy to sever the logistics of the garrison defending the city.

Military analyst Oleksii Hetman commented on the situation, asserting that despite Russian propaganda's claims of a "main assault on Pokrovsk," Russian forces have not achieved either an operational or tactical encirclement of the city.

Hetman has also voiced skepticism over the choice of Pokrovske as the main target for advancement. In his view, from a military standpoint, an offensive on Kostiantynivka with its vital railway line would make more sense.

Due to Russia’s push on the eastern front, the Pokrovsk direction is facing a challenging situation. Ukrainian troops report that the Russians are advancing on a 50-kilometer section and threatening to cut off two critical logistic roads important for Ukrainian defense efforts.