NATO data has confirmed that Russian troops' rapid advance has accelerated many times over the recent period, but Alliance analysts expect this process to slow down after the town of Pokrovsk if the Russians succeed in capturing it.

Source : European Pravda with reference to a senior NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity before the ministerial meeting in Brussels

Details : The NATO official stressed that the Russians had recently made sharp advances, seizing new territory.

"It is now clear that the Ukrainian line of contact is under increasing pressure. There was a period when I talked about the Russians advancing by 10 metres a day, now in some places we see changes of up to 10 kilometres a day," the NATO representative said.

However, he stressed that this was "simple territory" and that the Ukrainian army would be able to hold back the offensive more effectively in the future.

"We expect the advance to slow down after Pokrovsk, as the Ukrainians have prepared a line of fortifications there. We expect stronger resistance," he said.

Answering a question from European Pravda, the official, however, clarified that he did not consider the capture of Pokrovsk to be absolutely inevitable. "I will not make predictions whether or not Pokrovsk will fall, or when it might happen, but Russia does have momentum that is in favour of it now," he added.

Forecasts of a change in the trend of the frontline movement and the possibility of a Ukrainian counteroffensive are more cautious.

"The winter weather will have an impact; after all, mud in the fields hinders the advance of the front line. However, the main thing that can stop the advance of the Russians is military personnel and a sufficient number of necessary weapons," he added.

Background :

• Earlier, European Pravda reported that Germany predicted that Ukraine would lose Pokrovsk quickly. Other Western sources confirmed the Russians' rapid advance. In particular, a month ago, Estonian intelligence reported that Russia had occupied 150 square kilometres of Donetsk Oblast within a week.

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