The UK Ministry of Defence released an intelligence update on 16 February 2025, highlighting Russia’s continued attempts to seize critical logistical routes and encircle the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
According to the update, on 13 February the Russian Defence Ministry “claimed that Russian forces had taken control of Vodyane Druhe, a village situated on the H-32 Highway between Kostiantynivka and Myrnohrad.”
This highway is described as “a key logistics route east of the city of Pokrovsk.” Despite Moscow’s assertions, the bulletin notes that “fighting has continued in this area with Ukrainian forces likely repelling most of the Russian attacks.”
Further west, Kyiv’s troops are reportedly mounting counterattacks near Kotlyne on the T-04-06 highway and at Pischane, both of which are “fiercely contested.” The update explains that “Ukrainian forces are likely attempting to hinder Russian progress in securing the main supply route towards Udachne, 12km southwest of Pokrovsk.”
By contesting these areas, Ukrainian units aim to disrupt any Russian efforts to isolate Pokrovsk from surrounding supply lines.
The Ministry of Defence observes that “the attempted encirclement of Pokrovsk alongside efforts to cut off Ukrainian logistics lines along the front line remains a priority for Russian offensive activity.” This focus on securing control of roads and railways in the region has led to elevated casualty figures.
Citing a statement from Ukraine’s Khortytsia Group of Forces spokesperson, the report notes: “Russian casualties on the Pokrovsk axis in January 2025 were 7,000 killed and 15,000 wounded or missing.”
While Russia aims to tighten its grip on eastern Ukraine by targeting key transit corridors, Ukrainian forces are working to keep these lines open, heightening the intensity of clashes and resulting in considerable losses for both sides.
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Possible deployment of UK troops.
Before committing troops we should understand the situation. The Ukraine War has a 1000 mile front line with 800,000 Ukrainian troops faced by 1.5 millionish Russians. The front is 2000 miles away from the UK which is a massive logistical problem. The climatic conditions are not good; freezing winters, very hot summers separated by an impassable mud season. The front is heavily mined, is covered in unexploded munitions and largely obliterated. Any peacekeeping force will be confronted by a highly difficult situation.
So let’s say a ceasefire is signed and Europe is asked to police that line, what then? Depends what they are being asked to do. There are 3 realistic options:
1. Peace monitoring force.
The light touch option. Would still require at least a platoon per mile so we are talking 30,000 troops + a very sizeable logistical element. Let’s say one quarter of that force is British then we are talking a Brigade group. Such a force would only be able to monitor the contact line and would not be strong enough to intervene or really defend itself. If hostilities recommenced they would be in a lot of trouble.
2. Peace keeping force.
So we are now talking about a force that can monitor the contact line, defend itself and intervene in clashes along that line. A company group per mile is a conservative estimate, say 100,000 troops. That would require a British Division and a very large logistical tail. It would also need air cover so a large Typhoon deployment. If either side made a major breach of the ceasefire, again the force would be in a lot of trouble.
3. Peace making force.
Such a force would be positioned on the contact line and have the ability to conduct large scale manoeuvre warfare to defeat any incursion. The point of such a force would be that it could defeat any attack. Simply put you are talking about full scale intervention. It would require hundreds of thousands of troops.
Now even option one would take casualties, simply from the amount of ordnance lying around. Options two and three would take many, many more casualties. I don’t think the British Army is in a state that it could seriously consider option two or three. However option one is full of risk. There is a very big chance that they would be stuck in the middle of a very unpleasant situation.
Diplomats interviewed on Sky do not see UK forces in a peacekeeping role i.e. sandwiched between Ukrainian and Russia forces. They see the first step in negotiations is that Russia must acknowledge that Ukraine exists as a sovereign country – it is not a vassal state in some Greater Russia. Secondly UK forces could be part of ‘European’ ( or global) forces deployed on Ukrainian soil to guarantee that sovereignty. Thirdly, the US must provide the logistic and technology enablers for the European force. Starmer needs to cajole the friends of Europe and assemble a coalition of the willing, 100k boots.
“Do not march on Moscow. Various people have tried it, Napoleon and Hitler, and it is no good. That is the first rule of war.”
Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery.
Nobody wants to march on Moscow.
We aren’t interesting in taking on that mess.
If the orcs would just leave UKR alone and pull back behind the 2014 lines then everyone would happily guarantee that neither UK or NATO would cross that border.
Literally no one wants to march on Moscow.
Russia is a backwards craphole that no one wants to invade or occupy.
No-one wants to march on Moscow. It’s Putin who wants to foist his god complex on Kyiv.
It worked for Hindenburg…
Than you for bringing us up to speed on the latest Kremlin talking points….
This will not be a peace keeping mission any more than the BAOR was, this will be a force designed to engage and destroy any Russian attack. It will not therefore be scattered along a front ready for destruction in detail.. it will be a set of large combined arms formations that will back up the Ukrainians who will be responsible for that day to day management of their own frontiers.
No-one is committing British troops. What the government is saying that its an option. Unlike trump that is taking options off the table and giving Russia everything it wants, Europe and the UK are keeping NATO membership on the table and European peacekeepers. As all good negotiations both sides go in aiming for the world and settle in the middle somewhere. Taking option off the table like saying Ukraine has to give up territory is stupid at this stage.
Ukraine is losing ground every day. They’re out of men.
This isn’t a “Russian talking point.” It’s the reality of the situation. 2014 lines aren’t coming back. Ukraine is brave and lucky to exist at this point. They need to cut their losses and get out of the war.
And how do you get out of a war with an enemy that wants to subjugate you completely? Ukraine is fighting for its life and will fight to the end.
Russia is taking marginal gains at massive losses. Russia is also struggling to recruit new forces to replace the losses and with the high inflation the sign on bonuses are becoming less effective. Both sides are running out of troops. What that results in is currently anyone’s guess.
My theory is if a peace deal is not found then it will eventually hit stale mate where neither side has the forces for offensive activities.
Your theory is wrong. Russia doesn’t even have a draft. Ukraine is trying to preserve a generational demographic collapse. Two completely different situations.
Less than 12% of the Russian army is engaged with Ukraine.
Utter lies from a pathetic troll.
12%! Russia is losing thousands of troops a week, and running out of all forms of military equipment. If they had another 88% of their military available don’t you think they would have deployed by now to win the war.
Russia hasn’t had a full draft to protect putin, as he knows if the middle and upper class has to send their kids to die in the meat waves then his own head will be on a stick.
Even if you don’t believe that look at the percentage of ukraine occupied after 3 years, it’s barely moved up.
Russia isn’t winning but unfortunately neither is Ukraine. Just lots and lots of people have died.
12%?
Interesting. At the beginning of the war, the Russian authorized military strength was 1.04 million.
That cap has since been increased to 1.5 million. 12% of that figure is 180,000.
So to reach the new cap, Russia needed to recruit about 490,000 new troops… Putin claims that Russia has recruited 1,219,955 new troops since 2022, so that’s a good 700,000 more than they needed for the expansion. And since the Russian Army has implemented stoploss policies, meaning you can’t quit, there’s only one place those 700,000 troops could have gone (well two; the hospital or the grave).
So in effect, what you are telling us, is that Russia has had to replace it’s entire force in Ukraine 4 times over in the last 3 years?
Russia has an approved force of 1.5 million active duty and 2.0 million reserves. Roughly 300,000 are engaged with Ukraine at any one time. These are easily verifiable numbers, google it. 3.5/300k is less than 10%.
The Russians will continue to consolidate positions around Russian speaking populations and communities in the east. Once that is complete, there is a possibility they will resume high intensity warfare along the line of contact to establish a buffer zone.
The comments section of the UKDJ has come unhinged with western psyop talking points. Remember the “Ghost of Kiev” or “Summer offensive”? None of that was real either.
Okay so no actual reply about the casualties numbers derived from Russian statements got it, just a number you think lol
I also like “resume high intensity warfare.” As if Russia hasn’t been throwing all it’s got at Ukraine for month now.
No.
Better to still be fighting a war than having lost it to Russian occupation and subjugation.
The next echelon is Poland.
Instead of sending troops to die in Ukraine, what we need to do is rearm Britain. There is no army with a strong capacity, it is madness to send troops there. Are you still determined to think that Russia will give up Donbass and Crimea? That is not going to happen. A strong Britain is the best insurance that Russia will refrain from bothering here. The British defence situation is pathetic and needs to be strengthened. Do you think that public opinion would accept hundreds of British casualties? It is better to stop the invasion of illegals instead of promoting it. That is destroying Europe with attacks almost every day. Think about it.
Lol @ cretins that urge you to “think about it” when they themselves haven’t had an original or useful thought in their entire lives 🤡🤣
You just saw Starmer gas lighting. He wants to be a TB Liar. He is in fact a useless lawyer with no relevance to anyone except himself and his fellow pseudo Marxists.
in reality of course both those supply routes have already gone because their under direct firepower from russia forces, and it’s also true the E50 is alos compromised because of droen attack, pokrovsk is isolated more than ever with supplies having to be brought in by less direct, and more difficult, routes