Thread by @MaxRTucker

EXCLUSIVE: Ukraine’s 1st Army Corps has encircled hundreds of Russian troops in three pockets after they broke through Ukrainian lines around the town of Pokrovsk, and are methodically wiping them out. Extracts from today’s report in @thetimes below: 1/

Inside the underground headquarters of Ukraine’s 1st Azov Army Corps, its chief of staff rolls up secret battle plans from the table, then gestures to a large screen with a digital map that details the fight for Pokrovsk in real time. 2/

“Here, here and here we cut them off, they are tactically encircled,” says Lieutenant Colonel “Lemko”, gesturing to a point where the Russians broke through to the town’s northeast last month. His map shows the Russian infantry cut off in three pockets by Ukrainian forces… 3/

“Perhaps they can sit there for a month before they die, surrender or withdraw,” he adds. “We are 40,000 against more than 100,000 Russians. We won here with manoeuvre defence and quick, quality decisions.” 4/

At Pokrovsk, Ukraine has withstood Putin’s summer offensive, and, in places, pushed their enemy back. Buoyed by remarks from Trump this week that Ukraine can retake its territory by force, commanders like Lemko believe their work has helped to change the US president’s mind. 5/

Putin amassed a huge force in Donbas for his summer offensive, comprising the Russian 51st and 8th Armies and marine brigades. In July that force broke through Ukraine’s defensive lines, causing chaos. The Russian 51st army pushed towards Dobropillia, where we report from. 6/

The Russian attack was intended to seal the region’s fate, sweeping around Pokrovsk and isolating Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, the last two major cities held by Ukraine in the Donetsk region. 7/

Azov was dispatched to Donbas in August. “The situation was already critical. The enemy had broken through the first line of defence,” Lemko said. “They could have broken through further into the operational–strategic space.” 8/

First, the Ukrainians established a blocking position at the village of Zolotyi Kolodiaz. Then they started striking Russian logistics deep behind enemy lines, between the villages of Ocheretyne and Malynivka. 9/

Several thousand Russian infantry — about 15 per cent of the overall force — had advanced beyond drone and artillery support. So the Ukrainians attacked their flanks, getting in behind them. 10/

When Russians moved artillery, drone pilots and logistics troops up, they were surprised to run into Ukrainian lines and were destroyed. “Once a Ural truck carrying a Russian Giatsint artillery piece drove onto our infantry position. Our infantry was in shock,” Lemko said. 11/

The corps claimed to have killed 3,785 Russian soldiers since reinforcing this sector between August 5 and September 21, wounding 2,135, capturing 71. They said they had destroyed 28 tanks, 121 artillery pieces and nearly a thousand vehicles. 12/

Russian milbloggers expressed alarm at the “catastrophic” situation. Russian units “have found themselves practically encircled” said Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka. Ukraine’s armed forces had flanked the Russians in a “real, large-scale tactical threat”. 13/

The strategic battle for Pokrovsk is far from over. Its ruins may still fall to the Russians through their slow and grinding war of attrition. 14/

Everywhere the dangers are evident. Engineers are draping anti-drone nets above roads across Donetsk region. Closer to the front the roads are exposed, dangerous to linger on. We are forced to take cover when a suicide drone whines low in the air above us, exploding nearby. 15/

You can read my full dispatch on the battle for Pokrovsk here:

‘They’re encircled, and we’ll wait until they surrender, withdraw or die’

thetimes.com/article/00d907…