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The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue developing their offensive in the Donbass, rapidly advancing in the Pokrovsk and Kurakshovo directions.
On December 10th, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation officially confirmed the full control of the village od Zheltoe (Zhovte) located west of Selidovo and south of Pokrovsk. According to the Russian military, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost over 575 soldiers, a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier made, two vehicles, a 152 mm D-20 cannon and three 122 mm D-30 howitzers in this direction over the past day.
‘Russian forces defeated the manpower and equipment of three mechanized, motorized infantry, assault brigades and an assault battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Dimitrov, Petrovka and Pushkino in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russian forces repelled eight Ukrainian counterattacks in the Pokrovsk direction,’ the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.
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Meanwhile, Russian forces are rapidly expanding their zone of control approaching Pokrovsk and strategically important roads nearby. According to preliminary reports from the battlefield, the town of Novotroitskoe came under Russian control and Russian forces are completing the mop up operations in the village of Shevchenko. According to Ukrainian reports, the Ukrainian military lost control of Shevchenko. These settlements are located on the Kurakhovo-Pokrovsk road, where Ukrainian military supplies and communications were cur off.
The advancing Russian forces are expanding their bridgehead for the further assault on Pokrovsk from the southern flank. Their attacks allow to advance in different directions. Clashes are ongoing in Pushkino and Russian forces approached the outskirts of Novoolenovka to the south. Battles began in Dachenskoe to the north. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are still resisting in Lysivka. After their defense was destroyed in the areas east of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are hastily reinforcing the outskirts of the city but the ongoing Russian attacks in different directions force them to disperse forces in different areas on a wide front.
Russian drone strikes on the French Caesar, Ukrainian train and infantry:
According to some forecasts, the battle for Pokrovsk and its outskirts may play the decisive role in the war. From the military point of view, this is the last fortified stronghold, after which there are still no solid lines of defense. Ukrainian soldiers complained that there are only some purely fortified trenches west of Pokrovsk and the way to the Dnipropetrovsk region is protected by “one anti-tank ditch in the middle of the field.”
The loss of Pokrovsk and areas nearby will deal a critical blow to the economy of the whole country. Together with Pokrovsk, Kiev will lose the only mine with strategic reserves of coking coal, which provides the entire Ukrainian metallurgical industry. Last year, it provided the country with more than 90 percent of the rare coal of the “K” brand used by the largest enterprises in Ukraine and abroad. It is mainly mined in a mine located in the village of Udachnoye located on the southwestern outskirts of Pokrovsk. Russian troops are only 8 kilometers away from this village.
Another important trophy of the Russian military are lithium deposits located on the eastern outskirts of Shevchenko. In January, 2024, Kiev sold the deposits together with the European Lithium Ukraine company, which had lithium licenses in Ukraine, to the European Lithium company for €184 million.
The deal was agreed in January on the day of Rishi Sunak’s visit. Ukraine made a generous gift to British partners: Australian European Lithium closed a deal to acquire European Lithium Ukraine LLC (formerly Petro Consulting) with lithium licenses in Ukraine.
The Australian European Lithium Limited (British satellite) has become the sole owner of the European Lithium Ukraine company instead of Mikhail Zhernov, and Anthony Sage became the only beneficiary. The British received the right to exploit the fields in Dobroe and Shevchenko. But the advancing Russian army thwarted their plan.
