This was stated by Pavlo Lakiychuk, head of security programs at the Center for Global Studies Strategy XXI, during a broadcast on Espreso TV."The enemy is now moving into a direct assault phase on Pokrovsk. Around the city, or rather, what’s left of it, a semi-ring is closing in. Attacks are ongoing from the south, from the Soledar direction. On the outskirts, they’re trying to bypass the city from the Dnipropetrovsk region in the southwest, aiming to cut the Pokrovsk-Mezhova and Pokrovsk-Pavlohrad highways. The Pokrovsk-Mezhova route was already cut. The fighting continues in the area of Urozhayne," he said.Lakiychuk added that after reaching the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway, Russian forces regrouped."Once they got to the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway, they regrouped there, brought in reserves, and first tried to push along the road toward Myrnohrad. But they were diverted and shifted focus to attacking from the north. That’s how this pocket formed, very dangerous. Clearly, the heaviest fighting in this area is still ahead," the military expert said.As of Friday, August 1, Russian troops had made territorial gains in Donetsk region. They advanced in Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Zeleny Hay, and near Oleksiivka and Andriivka-Klevtsevo.