Ukraine replaces Eastern Commander amid Russian gains near Pokrovsk
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A military official tells CNN that General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy has been appointed to lead the operational and tactical group, succeeding General Oleksandr Lutsenko.
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A Ukrainian tank crew member of the 68th Jaeger Brigade smokes next to a Leopard 1A5 tank at the position where they take a break in fighting, near Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, on December 13, 2024 (AFP)
The commander of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk forces has been replaced following recent Russian advances in the region, CNN reported on Saturday, citing a military official.
General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy has been appointed to lead the operational and tactical group, succeeding General Oleksandr Lutsenko, the official informed CNN.
The decision follows sharp criticism of Lutsenko for failing to prevent Russian forces from making significant progress toward the key city of Pokrovsk.
According to Ukrainian mapping platform DeepState, Russian troops are now positioned just three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the city.
CNN mentioned that Pokrovsk has been at the center of some of the most intense battles on the eastern front in recent months, with Russia persistently attempting to encircle the city.
Located approximately 11 miles from the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, Pokrovsk holds strategic importance for Moscow, the media outlet noted.
It highlighted that its capture by Russian forces would represent Ukraine’s largest military setback in months, exacerbating the country’s difficulties in regaining momentum while Russian forces intensify their pressure on the eastern front lines.
The loss of Pokrovsk would also deepen concerns within Ukraine’s military about the potential implications of Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, which has raised fears over the possible reduction or cessation of military aid from Ukraine's largest backer as the protracted conflict nears its fourth year, CNN added.
In a related context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Saturday that Moscow has started deploying a "significant" number of soldiers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to bolster its efforts to expel Ukraine’s forces from Russia’s Kursk region.
Ukraine launched an operation into Kursk in August and continues to hold several settlements there.
“Today, there is already preliminary evidence that the Russians have begun to use soldiers from North Korea in assaults – a significant number of them,” Zelensky alleged.
He further claimed that Ukraine has intelligence suggesting that DPRK troops may also be active along other sections of the front line.
Read more: Russian forces claim Zheltoye, repel multiple Ukrainian counterattacks
