War in Ukraine – the Russian army is approaching Pokrovsk, but there is a nuance

The Russians are making significant efforts to completely capture the Ukrainian Donbass, and one of the main obstacles on this path for them is the city of Pokrovsk.

As Forbes analyst David Ax writes, in recent weeks, elements of the Russian army's 90th Guards Tank Division have advanced through the village of Zhovte to nearby Novopustynka, creating a narrow, miles-long salient in the Ukrainian line of defense, leaving the Russian vanguard just five miles south of Pokrovsk .

“If the Russians intend to encircle and cut off Pokrovsk rather than attack it directly – and there is ample evidence that this is the plan – then the recent advance is key…