Russian Army Reaches Haichur River, Ukrainian Troops Flee Pokrovsk Disguised As Civilians (Videos)

File image.

On November 18, the Russian military reached the Haichur River in Dnipropetrovsk and expanded its control in Pokrovsok and nearby areas in Donetsk forcing more Ukrainian troops to flee in a disorganized manner.

The Vostok [East] Group of Forces reached Haichur after capturing Nechayevka in Dnipropetrovsk, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The settlement represents the beginning of a Ukrainian line of defense that stretches all the way south to the key city of Huliapole, a stronghold of Kiev forces, in Zaporozhye.

Russian troops will likely work to secure the area to the north of Nechayevka up to the Yanchur River, before advancing south again towards Huliapole.

Radisne, right to the south of Nechayevka, is already under attack by the Vostok Group of Forces. Russian troops reached the eastern outskirts of the settlement earlier in the week.

If the Votosk Group of Forces manages to take over Radisne and push further south in the coming days, the entire Ukrainian line of defense along the Haichur will likely collapse before the end of the year. The battle of Huliapole may be a few weeks away.

Click to see full-size map.

This Ukrainian failure between Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporozhye is a direct result of Kiev’s decision to prioritize the defense of the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk to the east. Ukraine is, however, also losing the battle there.

In its daily briefing, the Russian MoD reported more advances by the Tsentr [Center] Group of Forces, specifically by the 2nd Army, in Pokrovsk, specifically in the Tsentralny district and in the western parts of Gornyak district, as well as in the western industrial area.

“Six attacks of the 32nd Mechanised Brigade and the 425th Skala Assault Regiment of the AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) were repelled from the area of Grishino (Donetsk People’s Republic) in order to unblock an encircled group of the AFU. Up to 30 militants have been neutralised,” the ministry added.

It also reported an advance in Dimitrov, more known as Myrnohrad. According to the ministry, the 51st Army made gains in Vostochny, Zapadny districts and the southern part of the settlement.

“Over the past 24 hours in Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) direction, up to 275 troops, a tank, a French-made 155-mm Caesar self-propelled artillery system, and four pickup trucks have been neutralized,” the ministry said.

Abandoned by their command, more and more Ukrainian troops are now attempting to flee Pokrovsk disguised as civilians.

The Russian MoD shared footage showing two such soldiers getting caught by Russian troops. The ministry said that the two complained about being abandoned by their command, and were captured after they had looted goods from some abandoned apartment before attempting to flee in civilian clothes.

Another video that was shared by Zvezda TV shows two other Ukrainian soldiers who attempted to flee Pokrovsok after changing into civilian clothes. These two were not as lucky as the other, however. They ended up getting targeted by a drone.

While the Tsentr Group of Forces is hunting down trapped Ukrainian troops attempting to flee, it is at the same time evacuating real civilians out of Pokrovsok. A video shared by the Russian MoD of one such operation, during which six civilians were helped leave the city.

All in all, Ukraine appears to be heading to a catastrophic defeat in Pokrovsk. A similar situation is now taking shape in Huliapole.

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