[Korrespondent] The battle for Pokrovsk continues.
On the night of May 13, Russian occupation forces advanced within the city of Toretsk, as well as near several populated areas in the Pokrovsk direction in the Donetsk region.
Russia may be preparing for a new, larger offensive, the Financial Times reports, citing sources in Ukrainian intelligence. According to the Ukrainian monitoring project DeepState, Russian troops this week captured territory in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, around the cities of Pokrovsk and Toretsk.
TENSE DIRECTION
The Ukrainian project DeepState has updated the map of the advance of Russian troops and reported that they have advanced in Toretsk and in the area of populated areas in the Pokrovsk direction.
“The enemy has advanced in Toretsk, near Romanovka and Novoolenevka,” analysts write.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine previously reported that since the beginning of Monday, 133 combat clashes have occurred on the front, while in the Pokrovsk direction, the Ukrainian military stopped 50 enemy assault actions.
In the Toretsk direction, Russian troops stormed Ukrainian positions six times, and two of the clashes have not yet ended, the General Staff reported on Monday evening.
THE WEST THREATENS SANCTIONS
French President Emmanuel Macron said live on the French TV channel TF1 that if Russia does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, European leaders intend to return to the issue of sanctions. Macron noted that several dozen packages of sanctions have already been introduced against Russia, but if Russia does not want to cease fire, then in the coming days they will discuss new sanctions - "in close contact with the United States of America," the French president emphasized.
Macron also spoke out against the seizure of frozen Russian assets, noting that there is no legal framework for this.
At the same time, European leaders are ready to wait until a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in Turkey before pushing the US to announce new sanctions against Moscow, Bloomberg writes, citing informed sources.
After conversations between American and European officials on Monday, it became clear that the American side wanted to provide an opportunity for talks between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday before increasing pressure on Putin, the publication said.
If Putin refuses to meet with Zelensky or Russia does not agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on Thursday, European leaders will call on U.S. President Donald Trump to follow through on his threat to impose sanctions on Moscow, the sources said.
The Trump administration has prepared options for the US president to put more economic pressure on Russia if he decides to do so, Bloomberg reported earlier. Trump himself said on May 8 that the US and its partners would impose additional sanctions if there is no ceasefire.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that at meetings with the heads of the Foreign Ministries of Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and the European Union, as well as the French Minister for European Affairs, they discussed possible future sanctions against Russia. They could affect the banking sector, energy and the Central Bank.
The package being prepared may also include, in particular, sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet.
“Putin must understand the consequences of abandoning efforts for a peaceful settlement and continuing the war,” Sibiga emphasized.