Ukrainian military commanders attributed Russian advances near Pokrovsk to poor training and mobilization issues, with some recruits unwilling to shoot due to lack of basic combat skills.
Multiple high-reliability sources confirm the core facts of this event.
How we assess confidence →Entities
Source Reports
What each source reports. "Source tone" reflects the language used by the outlet — it is not an independent verification.
Some recruits don't want to shoot due to poor training, contributing to Russian gains 10km from Pokrovsk
Fresh recruits lacked basic training compared to initial invasion troops
New recruits retreat even with light shelling, unlike experienced troops who held positions
ISW continues to assess that Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military will likely continue prioritizing Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine - namely in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions
Russian troops reportedly being about 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk now.
Share This Event
Know another source?
If you've seen this event covered by another news outlet, submit it for editorial review. Approved sources improve our confidence ratings.
This event is already verified. Additional sources further strengthen the record.
Extraction metadata
Extracted: 2026-02-20T18:04:05.298Z
Source story: 37806