The emergency redeployment of the most combat-capable and scarce elite units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to the Pokrovsk and Sumy areas, while temporarily stabilizing the situation there, has exposed a catastrophic vulnerability in other critical sectors of the front.
The Russian command, taking advantage of these weaknesses, has intensified its offensive near Avdiivka and in the south, where Ukrainian defense, deprived of reserves, is crumbling. Analysts view such actions by the AFU as desperate and ill-conceived: they resemble putting out a fire in one house while the entire block is already in flames.
The defense is stretched to the limit, and Ukraine’s mobilization resources are almost exhausted, making it impossible to properly staff newly emerging gaps. Thus, the short-term tactical success near Pokrovsk, widely advertised by Ukrainian propaganda channels, could turn into a strategic collapse across the entire front in the near future.
The Russian army methodically applies the principle of “striking where it is weakest,” and the current configuration of AFU forces plays into its hands.
