The enemy's plan has changed, raising increasing concerns about the threat of encirclement for Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.
This was reported by military analyst and director of the information consulting company Defense Express, Serhiy Zhuravets, during a broadcast on the "Espresso" channel. He added that Russian occupiers are attempting a large-scale flanking maneuver aimed at encircling the city with significant arcs from the south and north.
According to Zhuravets, despite expectations that the Russians would focus their forces on Pokrovsk, the enemy appears to have decided to change tactics, directing their forces towards Kurakhove. This may be linked to operational plans for a rapid encirclement of the settlement rather than a direct assault, which could significantly reduce casualties on both sides.
"We anticipated that there would be an uptick in occupier activity towards Pokrovsk from Selydove, but they are likely to now move south towards Kurakhove," Zhuravets explained.
He added that Russian occupation forces may also attack Shakhtarsk, Ukraine, and Bohoyavlenka. According to the analyst, the enemy may advance from Shakhtarsk to the north to avoid heavy fighting in Kurakhove itself. The likely tactic involves creating a flanking maneuver that, if successful, would enable Russian forces to encircle Kurakhove from the north and south.