The most difficult direction on the front remains Pokrovskoe — in a week the Russians stormed the positions of our units more than 500 times. The enemy attacks exclusively with infantry with limited support from equipment. The most effective weapon for repelling Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk direction remains attack drones.
According to Western military and analysts, Ukraine does not have enough of its own manpower to fully cover the front line.
ICTV Facts tell us about the situation on the front lines and how the front line has changed in a week.
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Situation in the Pokrovsk direction
Geolocation footage from January 29 indicates that the Defense Forces were able to advance slightly west of the village of Novoandreyevka, which is located south of Pokrovsk, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
The Deep State interactive map shows that the city of Kurakhovo is occupied and the enemy is advancing along the highway towards Constantinople. Russian troops are constantly carrying out assaults to cut off Ukrainian logistics in the direction of Kurakhovo.
Geolocation footage from January 25 indicates that Russian troops have advanced into the field to the eastern outskirts of Andreyevka. The Russians claim that their units have advanced further, into the southern part of Dachnoye, in the direction of Ulakly from Zelenovka. However, ISW has found no visual confirmation of these claims.
DeepState analysts reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have restored positions near the village of Udachnoye.
On January 27, the spokesman for the operational-strategic group of forces Khortytsia Viktor Tregubov reported that units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine left the southern part of Velyka Novosilka to avoid the threat of encirclement. However, our troops continue to hold individual positions closer to the outskirts.
On January 29, the DeepState portal reported that the occupiers captured Velyka Novosilka. However, on the same day, in the 110th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Mark Bezruchko stated that the fierce battles for Velikaya Novoselka continue and the village is not occupied.
In addition, the work of both Russians and Ukrainians is complicated by a water obstacle – the Mokrye Yaly River. The enemy needs significant manpower, special equipment and pontoon crossings to force it. The 110th Brigade is confident that the Russian offensive will be stopped in this direction.
By the way, Konstantin Mashovets, an observer for the Information Resistance group, believes that a crisis is starting to develop in the Kupyansk direction, which may well repeat the situation with Pokrovsk and Kurakhovo. Now the Russians are trying to expand their area for crossing the Oskol River north of the city of Kupyansk. In addition to the settlement of Dvurechnaya, enemy units also occupied the settlement of Novomlinsk.
If Pokrovsk Falls
The situation around the city of Pokrovsk is deteriorating daily. According to official figures, out of a pre-war population of 60,000, only about 7,000 residents remain. Encirclement or occupation of the city could put Russia in a strong position to launch attacks.
For example, in the last few days, the Russians have reached the main railway line leading into the city from the Dnieper. The enemy has an advantage in infantry, attacks in small groups, but is prepared to suffer extremely high losses, and also skillfully uses the terrain. Unfortunately, the Russians are advancing both day and night.
Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, believes that transit routes from Pokrovsk, if the city falls, will allow the Russians to advance north or west.
— This is preparing Russian troops for a potential advance into the Dnipropetrovsk region … further behind the front line, they are building and repairing railway lines. They can improve their own logistics, and this will allow them to advance further west, – Michael Kofman noted.
Russian troops are now at a distance of about 5 km from the administrative border with the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Analysts with whom Reuters spoke said that if Pokrovsk is captured, Russia has two main routes of advance.
First — advance westward into the sparsely populated plains of the Dnepropetrovsk region, which are weakly fortified and have no natural or urban barriers.
The second — is to advance north into a dense network of industrial cities, which will be more difficult to break through. However, this route will allow the Russians to put pressure on the large cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
The situation in the Kursk direction
Six months have passed since Ukraine began the Kursk operation to secure the Sumy region from the enemy's advance. The fighting in the Kursk region is heavy, the enemy is dropping guided bombs on our units, hitting with drones and artillery. However, the Defense Forces continue to hold part of the Kursk region along the settlements of Malaya Loknya, Lebedevka, Kazachya Loknya, Sudzha, Mirny, Zaoleshenka, Guevo.
According to analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), although Russian troops continue to advance in order to displace the Ukrainians, as of January 30, they have not achieved any confirmed successes.
The Estonian Defense Ministry stated that neither Russia nor Ukraine had achieved any significant results in the Kursk direction in a week.
— No significant territories were lost or gained, so a certain stalemate could arise. But active fighting is still ongoing there, — noted Gert Kaju, head of the Defense Preparedness Department of the Estonian Defense Ministry.
Deep State
At the same time, on January 31, units of the missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed the command post of the Russian group with a high-precision and coordinated strike Kursk, which is based in the city of Rylsk in the Kursk region.
Withdrawal of North Korean troops from the Kursk region
The American publication The New York Times, citing Ukrainian and American officials, wrote that the Russians withdrew North Korean soldiers to the rear due to heavy losses in the battles in the Kursk region — for about two weeks now, no troops from the DPRK have been recorded at the front.
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andrei Kovalenko noted that the North Koreans were withdrawn in order to work with them “on their mistakes”. However, it is too early to hope that the Russians will completely abandon the use of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine.
— They are working on their mistakes. Accordingly, now they (the North Koreans) are not participating in the assault actions, but are present directly at the front, in the rear positions, — noted Kovalenko.
In addition to the heavy losses, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has another headache — several of his soldiers have been captured. And they are being interrogated by both Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services.
