On the shell-pocked battleground.
Of eastern Ukraine.
‘Mordor’ has one main goal:
To fully occupy.
The coal-rich Donbas region.
That means capturing.
Luhansk Oblast and.
Neighboring Donetsk Oblast.
Together representing around.
10 percent of Ukraine’s area.
Luhansk fell early.
In the war.
But 34 months.
After ‘Mordor’ launched.
What was supposed to be.
A days-long invasion of Ukraine.
What was supposed to be.
A days-long invasion of Ukraine.
Its forces hold just.
Two-thirds of Donetsk.
And near-term prospects.
For a full occupation.
Of the oblast.
Are dimming.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
There are two main obstacles:
The ‘elves’ fortress city.
Of Pokrovsk and.
25 miles to the northeast.
A whole chain of.
Fortress cities stretching.
From Kostyantynivka.
To Sloviansk.
“By the end of the current year.
The enemy will not.
Succeed in seizing.
The ‘belt of fortresses’.”
“—Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka
-Kramatorsk-Sloviansk—
Or occupying Donetsk Oblast.”
A report predicted.
That doesn’t mean.
The ‘orcs’ aren’t advancing.
That doesn’t mean.
The ‘orcs’ aren’t advancing.
In recent weeks.
Elements of the ‘orcs’ army’s.
90th Guards Tank Division.
Advanced through.
The village of Zhovte.
To nearby Novopushtynka.
Creating a narrow.
But miles-deep salient.
In ‘elves’ lines that places.
The ‘orcs’ vanguard.
Just five miles.
South of Pokrovsk.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
If the ‘orcs’ aim to surround.
And cut off Pokrovsk.
Rather than directly.
Attack it.
—and there’s ample evidence.
That’s the plan—
The recent advance.
Is key.
The next logical move for.
The 90th Guards Tank Division.
And adjacent units.
Would be to widen.
The salient by.
Capturing Novotroitske.
And, farther south.
Ukrainka.
In addition to.
Squeezing Pokrovsk.
A wider salient.
Would serve.
A secondary purpose.
For ‘orcs’ forces:
Threatening the supply lines.
Of ‘elves’ forces.
In and around.
In and around.
Zorya and Sontsivka.
South of the salient.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
Since ejecting the ‘elves’ army’s.
Weary 72nd Mechanized Brigade.
From Vuhledar.
On 1 October.
The ‘orcs’ have advanced.
At a slow.
But steady clip.
In southern Donetsk.
The developing ‘orcs’.
Encirclement of Pokrovsk.
From the south.
Could double.
Could double.
As an ‘orcs’ encirclement.
Of southern Donetsk.
From the north.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
But it’s not clear.
The ‘orcs’ have.
The resources to pull off.
The maneuver.
With their best troops.
And equipment.
Not to mention thousands of.
North Korean reinforcements.
Busy battling.
The ‘elves’ invasion.
Of western ‘Mordor’’s.
Kursk Oblast.
—and suffering.
Horrific casualties—
The ‘orcs’ have few reserves.
Around Pokrovsk.
“Over the past two.
To three months.
In order to advance.
On the Pokrovsk direction.”
“The enemy’s command.
Has had to maintain.
High operational troop density.
Not by reinforcements.”
“Not by reinforcements.
But by regrouping.
Existing forces.”
Was explained.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
We should find out soon.
Whether the ‘orcs’ possess.
The combat power.
To capture Pokrovsk.
“The upcoming battle.
For Pokrovsk will mark.
The apex of the enemy’s.
Offensive operation”.
“The apex of the enemy’s.
Offensive operation”.
For 2024.
Was concluded.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
The ‘orcs’ aren’t.
Approaching the city.
From a position.
Of great strength.
Monthly troop losses exceed.
—by many thousands—
The number of fresh troops.
The Kremlin recruits every month.
Stocks of modern tanks.
And fighting vehicles.
Are running low.
Compelling more ‘orcs’.
Compelling more ‘orcs’.
To attack in.
Pickup trucks.
And vans.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
Maybe the shifting politics.
Will hurt Ukraine.
And help ‘Mordor’.
Maybe they’ll do the opposite.
The uncertainty is.
Surely palpable.
In Moscow and Kyiv.
The difference, however, is.
That Moscow is trying to.
Sustain a costly offensive.
In pursuit of goals that keep.
Slipping farther into the future.
By contrast.
Ukraine’s main goal is.
To simply survive.
To simply survive.
While ‘Mordor’ expends people.
Weapons and time.
It can’t get back.
It can’t get back.
*Because I read “A Russian Tank Division Is Closing In On Pokrovsk. It’s Not As Strong As It Looks.” by David Axe on 8 Dec 2024 on the Forbes, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a report of the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies.
Please read the original story on the Forbes:
