Russian forces advancing beyond Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway – Ukrainian military

Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces, announced this on Ukrainian television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"They [the occupiers] are now advancing from the eastern side of the target — the Pokrovsk agglomeration — with considerable force, actively pushing beyond the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka road, which could give them two strategic options if they manage to advance further north," Trehubov said.

According to him, one possibility is to attempt another flanking maneuver around Pokrovsk, this time from the eastern side of the agglomeration. Alternatively, they could move toward Kostiantynivka and attempt to encircle it from the west. This area could also serve as a springboard for further advances to the north by Russian forces.

"Any of these scenarios is unfavorable. Each opens up operational opportunities for the enemy, so we must prevent them from achieving or expanding such a breakthrough," Trehubov said.