Pokrovsk On The Brink, Kupyansk In Flames, Sumy Inferno

Pokrovsk On The Brink, Kupyansk In Flames, Sumy Inferno From Sumy to Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces advance as Ukraine reels from heavy losses and allies tighten the screws. On the Sumy axis, the intensity of fighting has sharply increased. After bringing in reinforcements and replenishing assault units, Ukrainian forces attempted several counterattacks. In the Sadki area alone, five attempts by Ukrainian assault groups to advance were disrupted. In just the past 24 hours, Ukraine has lost more than 300 troops and several pieces of Western armored equipment. In Kupyansk, the Russian units are storming the high-rise districts in the northern part of the city as well as the city hospital, which Ukrainian troops have turned into a fortified stronghold. It has also been reported that the command post of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade was destroyed and several of its commanders eliminated. On the Pokrovsk axis, Russian troops continue their push from Troyanda, while Russian reconnaissance units are operating in the western side of the city. Information has emerged that Ukrainian forces have begun organized preparations to withdraw from Pokrovsk, effectively signaling the gradual surrender of the city. On the Zaporizhzhia front, Russian units are advancing on the southern outskirts of Primorskoye and have expanded their control around Stepnogorsk. The Russian Ministry of Defense has also reported strikes against Ukrainian ammunition depots and artillery positions deeper in the rear. On the Gulyaypole axis, units of the Russian Eastern grouping have taken control over Novoivanovka. In heavy fighting, assault forces seized more than four square kilometers and over 120 buildings. Having consolidated their gains, Russian units now pose a direct threat to Uspenovka, a key defensive node covering the approaches to Gulyaypole. In Kherson, the Russian artillery and drones are targeting the southern part of the city. At present, any movement there is treated as military activity, as civilians are believed to have already left. Strikes are also hitting river crossings and areas where Ukrainian reserves have been concentrated on the right bank. Meanwhile, in Poland, measures are being stepped up to detain Ukrainian men of military age who are attempting to evade mobilization. At the same time, the authorities are reducing social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, seeking to either push them into low-wage labor or return them to Ukraine for military service. In addition, during the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Warsaw, the two sides agreed to create a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems—an indicator of Poland’s deeper involvement in the conflict. That same night, Poland’s Ministry of the Interior announced “drone activity near the border, attempting to enter Polish airspace,” which experts view as an attempt to justify to the public the country’s growing engagement in the war.