Russia seeks to win in Pokrovsk and seize the entire Donetsk region in order to convince US President Donald Trump that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the entire eastern Donbas, i.e., from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as reported by UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
We cannot leave eastern Ukraine. No one will understand this, people will not understand this. And most importantly, no one guarantees that if they capture one city or another, they will not move further. There is no deterrent.
At the same time, he emphasized that any decision on troop withdrawal is a matter for military commanders on the ground.
No one forces them to die for ruins. I will support our soldiers, especially the commanders who are there, in how they can control the situation. Otherwise, it will be too expensive for us: the most important thing for us is our soldiers.
Recall
Earlier, UNN reported that it is impossible to deliver humanitarian aid to the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk region. Only Ukrainian military personnel are now helping the civilian population.