Ukraine must make a tough decision on Pokrovsk immediately. Founder of Ukraine's Come Back Alive foundation, Vitali Deineha, says units should be withdrawn from the city to avoid unjustified casualties and a serious weakening of the front.

The DeepState analytical project that monitors the Russian occupation has reported for several days in a row that the invaders were advancing near Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that a complex operation is underway on the Pokrovsk axis to destroy and repel Russian forces.

Save people or hold ground?

Deinega warns that without an order to withdraw, the risks are catastrophic — not only human losses but also the loss of fortifications and logistics, which would quickly fall to the Russians.

“If no one signs an order to withdraw troops from Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in the near future, we may find ourselves not only losing a significant number of highly motivated paratroopers and marines,” he says.

He explains that Ukraine's troops have already lost "equipment worth hundreds of millions" in Pokrovsk, and there’s no chance to evacuate it.

"We could end up with a hole in the front that no one can plug, and the fortifications we built in the rear will quickly pass into enemy hands," he believes.

"They see everything from above"

Deinega stresses that the Russians watch Ukrainian movements in real-time and use that intelligence to plan further steps. He delivers a stark diagnosis and calls for the secure protection of those who refuse to withdraw without an order.

"The General Staff reports are increasingly full of lies. In fact, we have almost already lost Pokrovsk, which means holding Myrnohrad also makes little sense. I’m not revealing any big secret. The Russians see this perfectly from their drones in real time," Deineha says.

Saving people is more important than politics

The expert insists on a bold, unpopular choice: withdraw units, record the losses, and preserve personnel to continue the war.

He warns that fearing a decline in approval ratings is pointless, as there will be no easy choice, because "the next year there will be war again."

“We must record this and save those who refuse to leave without an order. Don’t be afraid of rating drops, because there will be no elections: next year there will be war again. Somebody will have to fight it," Deineha adds.