Ukrainian snipers launch surprise attack on Russian troops

On January 11, Ukrainian military intelligence released footage depicting an ambush on a group of Russian soldiers near the front lines in Pokrovsk.

The combat footage was recorded in night vision and showed snipers tracking a group of Russian soldiers before firing on them, Newsweek reported. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), the snipers eliminated all targets. However, that claim has not been independently verified. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

"This video showcases the successful outcome of an ambush on Russian invaders near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast: DIU special forces troops killed a group of Muscovites with sniper fire,” a caption posted with the video explained according to Ukrainska Pravda. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

“We continue our operations behind enemy lines, focused on crushing the invaders and severing their supply routes!" the DIU continued. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

Newsweek provided a different translation of the DIU’s comments and reported that the snipers were working to destroy Russian forces and cut off their logistics. “Logistics are vital for keeping forces supplied and effective in battle,” the news outlet added. 

What other operations may be taking place behind enemy lines near Pokrovsk are not known, but what we do know is that Moscow has been fighting to capture Pokrovsk for the better part of six months. This is due to the city's strategic position. 

Pokrovsk is a major Ukrainian stronghold on the eastern frontline and the city holds a strategic position that could seriously affect Kyiv’s operations. Russian forces capture the city because of the roads and rail lines leading into and out of Pokrovsk. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Tschubby, Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Euronews noted in September 2024 that Pokrovsk was not only a main logistics base but also that the city was a major transport hub in the east with “multiple roads and rail lines” intersecting in the city.

If Ukraine were to lose Pokrovsk, it would make transporting men and material to other parts of the “overstretched frontline” in the east more difficult. “It is hard to overestimate the importance of Pokrovsk both for Ukraine and for Russia,” Euronews noted. 

“Pokrovsk has been one of the strongholds of Ukraine's eastern front. Its geographic location not only makes it arguably one of the most important logistics hubs, but it is also scarily close to what has been seen as Ukraine's deep rear,” Euronews added. 

If Pokrovsk falls, Russia will give Moscow a route to Dnipro, one of the largest cities in Ukraine with a population of roughly one million people. It could also push the frontline closer to central Ukraine. 

Russian forces have been making steady progress towards Pokrovsk for months, but they haven’t captured the city yet—most likely because of the success of small-scale operations like the sniper ambush showcased by the DIU. 

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Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine