ISW reports absence of Defense Forces in Pokrovsk; General Staff, DeepState do not confirm
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) illustrated its update on the Russian-Ukrainian war for Thursday, February 26, with updated maps according to which Ukraine's Defense Forces are no longer present within the administrative boundaries of the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, where fighting is ongoing, although all northern and western outskirts of the city remain in a penetration zone.
At the same time, the Institute does not report the final capture of the city by Russian occupying forces. "Geolocated footage published on February 26 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced south of Hryshyne (northwest of Pokrovsk). Russian forces attacked near Pokrovsk itself; northwest of Pokrovsk near Hryshyne and toward Novooleksandrivka and Shevchenko; north of Pokrovsk near Rodynske and toward Bilytske; southwest of Pokrovsk near Kotlyne, Udachne, and Molodetske and toward Novopidhirne; and west of Pokrovsk toward Serhiivka on February 25 and 26… Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Hryshyne," the institute said.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), on its maps attached to operational information on the Russian invasion as of 08:00 on February 27, marks a small northern part of the city along the Hryshynka River as being under the control of the Defense Forces. The penetration zone is not marked on the General Staff's maps.
The withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Pokrovsk is also not confirmed by the OSINT project DeepState. On its maps, last updated on the evening of February 26, a small area within the administrative boundaries of the city in the northeast, near the village of Rivne, remains in the penetration zone, but all residential districts of Pokrovsk are shown as controlled by the enemy.
The seventh Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces, which is carrying out tasks including on Pokrovsk axis, reported on February 25 to 27 the destruction of groups of Russian occupiers in open areas in the suburbs of Pokrovsk, in particular near the village of Hryshyne.
