Russia has implemented a new scheme for capturing cities, which poses serious problems for Ukraine - WP 0 46

Russian troops have implemented a new scheme for capturing cities. This can be seen in the example of Pokrovsk, which is currently being targeted by the Russians.

This was noted by Georges Barros, a leading analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), in an article for The Washington Post, analyzing the course of the battles for this city. He pointed out that although the occupation of Pokrovsk will bring Russia minor tactical advantages, the campaign to capture the city shows that Russian troops are learning and adapting.

"If this is not stopped, Ukraine may face serious problems in the near and medium term," the author emphasized.

"The Kremlin is exaggerating the importance of capturing Pokrovsk to present Russia's advances on the battlefield as inevitable. This sense of inevitability is shared by some members of President Donald Trump's negotiating team," the analyst noted.

He believes that after the occupation of Avdiivka, capturing Pokrovsk became a priority for the Russian military command, despite the fact that over the past nearly two years, the occupiers have advanced only 40 km from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk and have paid a high price for this offensive. The analyst pointed out that since the beginning of the offensive on Avdiivka in October 2023 and until the summer of 2024, Russian troops have lost in the Pokrovsk area armored vehicles and tanks in numbers equivalent to at least five divisions - over 1,000 armored vehicles and more than 500 tanks.

After that, the Russians changed their tactics - they abandoned mechanized assaults and focused on infiltrating small assault groups. This approach allowed the enemy to continue the offensive literally on foot, albeit with heavy losses. Thus, in October 2025, in the Pokrovsk area, Russian troops captured only about 30 square kilometers but lost up to 25,000 soldiers.

Barros believes that capturing Pokrovsk is unlikely to be a breakthrough for the Russians, as the forces located there do not have the capability to advance quickly and capture territories. Furthermore, due to heavy losses, the occupiers lack the strength for a large-scale breakthrough.

However, as Barros noted, the Russians have demonstrated a new operational scheme for capturing Ukrainian cities: first, the logistics lines of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are destroyed using drones, and then infantry assault and sabotage groups are sent in.

"Russia's ability to weaken the positions of Ukrainian defenders on the battlefield with medium-range strikes is a troubling phenomenon," the analyst believes.

Barros noted that the defense of well-fortified Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Konstantynivka will be significantly complicated if the Russians can leave Ukraine without the railways and highways necessary to supply these strongholds.

Barros warned that Russia is already trying to use the experience gained in Pokrovsk and cited the example that in November, Ukraine cut off the railway connection with Kramatorsk, likely due to threats from Russian drones.