Ukrainian Military Fear 'Heavy Defeat' Near Pokrovsk
Tehran - BORNA - The Ukrainian military has reportedly acknowledged the possibility of suffering a 'heavy defeat' due to the encirclement of their positions by Russian forces near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Myrnohrad (Dimitrov), according to the German newspaper Bild. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry (MOD) publicly criticized President Vladimir Zelensky, calling him 'divorced from reality' or a deliberate liar regarding the situation on the front lines.
Reported Encirclement Threat Near Pokrovsk
According to sources cited by Bild within the Ukrainian army and intelligence services, the Ukrainian military has reportedly admitted that they may suffer a heavy defeat due to Russian forces surrounding their positions near Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad (known to Russia as Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov).
Bild notes that while Kyiv officially maintains that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to "hold" both settlements, "internal analysis shows a different picture."
Last week, Kyiv deployed elite commandos near Pokrovsk, who reportedly suffered heavy losses in their attempt to reinforce positions. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously reported the dire situation for the Ukrainians near Kupyansk and Pokrovsk in late October, urging Kyiv to agree to an honorary surrender of the blockaded troops.
The Ukrainian government has denied Russian reports that its forces are encircled in two specific areas on the front, with over 10,000 soldiers reportedly trapped.
Russian MOD Rebukes Zelensky
The Russian Defense Ministry (MOD) issued a strong rebuke to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday, stating he is either "divorced from reality" after being deceived by his military commanders or is deliberately lying to his nation.
The criticism came in response to claims made by Zelensky about the situation in Kupyansk, where he asserted that Moscow's forces are being pushed back. The Russian military claimed the opposite was true.
The Russian statement said: "The head of the Kiev regime is fully divorced from reality and, after hearing untrue reports from [armed forces Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr] Syrsky has no command of the operative situation on the ground."
"Alternatively, he realizes the desperate situation and the true position of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kupyansk. That is why he is trying to keep hiding the truth from the people of Ukraine and his Western sponsors at the cost of ignoble deaths of thousands of Ukrainian troops."
Zelensky previously claimed that the Russian military presence near Kupyansk was limited to a mere 60 troops and that the Ukrainian military had a roadmap for completing a "swipe" of the area, which he declined to disclose.
The ministry suggested that Kyiv could be stalling to secure and embezzle additional aid from the West. It added that the situation is only getting worse for Ukrainian soldiers, who are not given any options by their commanders to save their lives except surrendering to their Russian opponents.
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