Zelensky Names Oleksandrivsk and Pokrovsk as Key Points of Russian Offensives

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Russian forces are currently focusing their main military efforts near Oleksandrivsk and Pokrovsk in the eastern region of Ukraine, Donetsk.

In an afternoon update, Zelensky noted that he received reports from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov, who informed him about the situation on the battlefield and operations involving long-range strikes.

“Firstly, we discussed the prospects in the Oleksandrivsk and Pokrovsk directions. It is there that the greatest efforts of the Russian army are currently concentrated, and accordingly, our countermeasures are focused there,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine, fighting remained particularly intense near Pokrovsk on Monday evening. Russian forces launched 25 attacks in the Pokrovsk sector, attempting to advance near the settlements of Bilytske, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolaivka, and Hryshyne. At the time of the report, two assault actions were still ongoing.

In the Oleksandrivsk sector, Russian troops conducted 11 attacks near Ivanivka, Myrnyi, Kalynivskyi, Pryvillia, Verbove, Zlahoda, Oleksandrohrad, and in the direction of Lisne, Ukrainian military officials reported.

Zelensky also noted that Ukraine's long-range capabilities are diminishing Russia's revenues, particularly from oil, adding that the impact of operations such as those conducted in the Black Sea is felt in both the northeastern and southeastern sectors, where such strikes are active.

These comments from Zelensky come in response to the rising tensions at the front, where Ukrainian forces are working to repel the advances of Russian troops attempting to seize strategically important territories. The situation at the front remains tense, and Ukrainian military forces continue to work on strengthening their positions.

Meanwhile, in other news, the former governor of Kursk has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. A Russian court found former governor Oleksiy Smirnov guilty of fraud related to state contracts associated with border fortifications.