Russian troops have shifted in the Pokrovsk sector from relying on small infantry raids to launching more conventional assaults supported by armored vehicles, NV reports, citing an officer from Ukraine’s Rubizh Brigade. Despite this renewed pressure, Ukraine continues to hold the northern part of the city, and recent Russian claims of capturing it were debunked by Ukrainian officials.
Russia returns to mechanized warfare in Pokrovsk sector
Volodymyr Cherniak, an officer from the 4th Rubizh Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, said on Ukrainian television on 29 December that Russian forces are now conducting classic mechanized storming operations under tank cover. He noted that this marks a significant tactical pivot after a period where Russia favored deploying small groups using motorcycles, quad bikes, and even civilian vehicles.
“The fact that we hadn’t seen equipment for a long time doesn’t mean the enemy doesn’t have it — the enemy just often likes to change tactics. They had a tactic of small infantry groups that would gather… they used to storm using motorcycles, quad bikes, civilian vehicles, and so on. Now it’s time for classic mechanized assaults with tank cover,” Cherniak said.
According to him, Russia can afford such flexibility on the battlefield and will likely shift again if the new approach leads to major losses in matériel. The officer predicted that after suffering equipment losses in multiple large-scale assaults, Russian troops may return to sending smaller infantry groups.
In its daily estimation of Russian losses, Ukraine's General Staff said Moscow lost three tanks over the past 24 hours.
On 27 December, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied Russian claims about capturing Huliaipole, Myrnohrad, and Pokrovsk. Ukrainian forces said the defense of Pokrovsk has held firm for 17 months and that Russian troops continue to take significant losses there. On 28 December, the 7th Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces confirmed that Ukrainian defense forces maintained control over the northern part of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
