Ukrainian soldier at the front Photo: Wolfgang Schwan / AFP

The Ukrainian Defence Forces have launched a successful counterattack in Donetsk Oblast, liberating the village of Pishchane, five kilometres from Pokrovsk. This was reported by Bild on Thursday, 13 February.

“For the first time in a year, the Ukrainian army was able to push back Russian troops in Donetsk region, liberating a strategically important village. In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced another two kilometres in neighbouring settlements,” the article says.

According to Finnish military analyst Emil Kastehelmi, although the territory liberated by Ukrainian troops is still small, the very fact that Russian forces retreated for the first time since autumn 2023 caused panic among the occupiers.

According to unnamed Russian sources, Ukrainian forces have gained a foothold in the industrial zone of the western part of Pishchane and continue to fight in residential areas.

The journalists emphasise that this counterattack is critical for the defence of Pokrovsk, as the Russian army was trying to get closer to the strategic E50 road connecting the city to central Ukraine. Its loss could threaten to blockade Ukrainian troops in the region.

In addition, the publication reminds that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have recently become more active in the territory of the Russian Federation: in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian military regained control of three small settlements.