The Russian 20th Motor Rifle Division is conducting a major offensive against Ukrainian positions near Illinka in Donetsk Oblast, despite suffering significant vehicle losses, according to Forbes.

The situation in the Pokrovsk direction of the front in Ukraine is increasingly precarious as Russian forces intensify their offensive operations.

As of early October 2024, Russian troops are reported to be within 5 to 7 km of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistical hub for Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian forces have been engaged in counter-battery fire and are attempting to hold critical positions to prevent further Russian encroachment.

Ukrainian 79th Air Assault Brigade, numbering approximately 2,000 personnel, faces pressure from the larger Russian division estimated at 10,000 troops in what appears to be a strategic push to encircle Karakhove, Donetsk Oblast.

According to Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher, the situation has become “close to critical” for the defending forces, Forbes reports. 

However, Ukrainian forces have destroyed numerous Russian vehicles, including modern BMP-3s and older BMP-2s and MT-LBs. 

Analyst Andrew Perpetua reports that Russian losses reached 206 vehicles in a single day, compared to 49 Ukrainian vehicles lost.

“The Russians continue to successfully use the ‘bag’ tactics, bypassing our positions on three sides and leaving a narrow ‘throat’ for retreat,” said Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev.

This strategy, he notes, often creates panic about potential encirclement among defending forces.

The Ukrainian military faces additional challenges with its forces divided between the Donetsk front and a 270-mile salient in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. 

Kriegsforscher questions this strategic allocation of resources, stating “While we lose so much ground in the Donetsk area, I am asking myself: what I am doing in the Kursk area?”

The Ukrainian defense ministry is working to establish new brigades to reinforce the front line. However, these units are still in training, and equipment shortages remain a significant challenge for newly formed units.

Related:

• ISW: Russians made progress near Pokrovsk and Selydove
• Zelenskyy: Russia increases Shahed drone deployment tenfold since last autumn
• Ukrainian General Staff: Russian war losses in Ukraine reach 700,000
• ISW: Russians advance in Svatove, Kreminna, Siversk, and Vuhledar