It is probably Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most cynical and ridiculous gambit yet: proposing a temporary ceasefire in Pokrovsk so his “journalists” can confirm that the Ukrainian-held city of Pokrovsk is surrounded and doomed. It is neither – and life for the Russian troops who have crept into the urban area of Pokrovsk has become nasty, brutish, and short.  Let’s cut through the hype and separate tactical fact from fiction. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @