Pokrovsk becomes a "magnet" for Russia: Expert details occupiers’ next steps

Despite the massive resources Russia has thrown at the Pokrovsk front, its advance there remains minimal. The agglomeration has turned into a “magnet” holding up to 150,000 Russian troops — yet analyst Vladyslav Seleznyov cautions that Moscow is now gearing up for a major armored assault on nearby Myrnohrad.

He shared this view in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA.

The analyst warns that despite the gravity of the situation, there is no room for illusions regarding Pokrovsk or Myrnohrad. He says Russian troops are already infiltrating the Myrnohrad area and gearing up for a more forceful push.

“The enemy is now actively clearing mines from paved roads located east of Myrnohrad,” Seleznyov said.

In his view, this indicates that Russian forces are preparing operations involving armored vehicles for a large-scale assault on the settlement.

Pokrovsk is a “magnet” for a quarter of Russia’s army

The expert stresses that the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad agglomeration plays a major strategic role, locking down massive Russian forces.

“The concentration of vast Russian resources in one area — estimated at 110, 150 or even 170 thousand troops — is a powerful magnet. It’s slightly less than a quarter of the entire Russian grouping, but this quarter is packed into a relatively small stretch of the front,” Seleznyov explains.

He emphasizes that this prevents the enemy from maneuvering or redeploying these forces to other critical sectors — the Lyman axis, the Kupiansk area, or the south of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Pokrovsk’s situation is highly dynamic. According to Seleznyov, south of the railway is a Russian-leaning grey zone; north of it, Ukrainian forces dominate, striking with raids and wiping out assault teams.

Infiltration — the movement of small groups — has become the key tactical method used by both sides.

“This has created pockets on the front where Russian troops are completely encircled — supplied only by air or covertly in small teams,” he noted. Some Ukrainian units face similar risks.

Seleznyov says Ukraine’s command will likely shift to maneuver defence — possibly pulling back to new positions to avoid encirclement and keep logistics open through the Rodynske–Hryshyne bottleneck.

The enemy’s main advantage remains manpower.

“Researchers and several Ukrainian servicemen report that in priority sections of the front, the enemy holds a multiple advantage, reaching 14–18 troops for every one Ukrainian soldier,” Seleznyov emphasized.

This lack of personnel prevents the Ukrainian military from using infiltration tactics as extensively as Russia does.