Putin throws everything at Pokrovsk while Ukrainian defense struggles

He highlighted the problems that Ukraine's army is facing near the city of Pokrovsk , Donetsk Oblast.

"Still, I want to remind everyone how the war works now: if there are drones, the Russians don’t advance," he said.

"If Ukraine has drones, the Russians are stopped. If drones are lacking, the Russians can push forward."

“For Putin, capturing Pokrovsk is now the top priority. I assume — I can’t read his mind — but I believe he dreams most of all about taking Pokrovsk right now," he explained.

"He’s funneling colossal resources into that direction. Russian assault groups are streaming in endlessly — small and ‘micro’ squads, one or two people at a time.”

That’s also why Ukraine is seeing some success in Sumy Oblast — because nearly all of Russia’s combat-ready forces are being concentrated in Donetsk, Yakovyna added.

"Russian losses in the Pokrovsk area are very high, but unfortunately, Putin is ready to burn through all of his forces just to gain some kind of military victory — something he can present to the Russian public, to himself, and to the elite as a great achievement. And that’s exactly what he’s doing."

“Russian soldiers are moving forward — on motorcycles, carts, even horses and donkeys. Hundreds and thousands try to seep through Ukrainian defenses. At best, a few dozen make it alive, and only a handful manage to hold new positions. But they do hold, and more waves come to reinforce them.”

Finding and eliminating these infiltrators is most effective with drones, as Yakovyna noted, since Ukraine is facing a personnel shortage.

"Drones are everything right now."

“For Ukraine’s army, it’s critical to hold on for a few more months. Soon, the rains will begin, the roads will turn to mud, and the advance of these small units will become much more difficult.”

“The Russian offensive won’t stop completely, but it will slow down due to the weather," he highlighted.

"Right now, while it’s dry and there’s lots of vegetation, it’s much easier for them to move forward. That’s one reason."

“Another reason is financial. In a few months, Putin may start running out of money. Some sanctions hitting Russia now are very dangerous financially. For example, the situation with India’s refinery is very difficult for them. Russia’s civilian economy is visibly deteriorating.”