Ukrainian counterattacks in the Pokrovsk sector successfully liberated the village of Pishchane in the Donetsk region from Russian occupation forces, according to a Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) spokesperson.
Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational-strategic grouping of troops (OSUV Khortytsia), announced the battlefield victory on Sunday, Feb. 16, on the Kyiv 24 TV channel.
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“The liberation of Pishchane has already been reported, and we can now confirm it,” Tregubov stated. “The village is located about five kilometers south of Pokrovsk. Russian troops have also been pushed back from several other nearby settlements.”
He noted that the situation on the front line is changing rapidly, and there are signs of a slight shift in the enemy’s actions.
“But it seems that in the Pokrovsk sector, a certain turning point has occurred, albeit cautiously speaking. At least, this can now be stated regarding President [Zelensky],” he added.
Tregubov said Russian forces had serious intentions in the Pokrovsk sector but suffered significant losses. He said their offensive has been partially halted this month, and in some settlements, Russian troops have been pushed back.
He remarked that this progress was due to the effective use of drones and the coordinated efforts of various Ukrainian military units.
The successes of Kyiv’s forces were a setback for Kremlin tactics that have employed relentless firepower and often accepted massive losses in men and equipment in its attempts to gain ground.
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Russian milbloggers on Tuesday confirmed Ukrainian troops in the Pokrovsk sector, the epicenter of a grinding Kremlin offensive since early 2024, advanced more than a kilometer (1,100 yards) on an 8-kilometer (5-mile) wide front to break into the Russian-held village of Pishchane in the Donetsk region.
Video published by the 425th Separate Assault Regiment Skala deployed to the Pokrovsk sector, showed its infantry supported by bomber drones pushing through the village of Pishchane and rooting out Russian troops in a night attack. The geo-located images showed careful tactics and the liberal use of grenades by Ukrainian assault troops.
A Skala statement claimed two Russian soldiers were taken prisoner, with pro-Moscow milbloggers confirming the loss of the village.
Unconfirmed reports said AFU units had also taken two villages adjacent to Pishchane – Dachenske, Vodyany Druhy - where Ukrainian infantry was reported to be digging in.
The AFU lost control of Pishachane, a strategically important settlement controlling supply routes to the city of Pokrovsk on Jan. 7-9 following waves of Russian attacks, the geo-location tracking group DeepState reported on Wednesday.
The AFU General Staff made no direct comment on the control of Pishachne in its daily situation update.
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