According to Kyiv, the city Pokrovsk remains a priority for the Kremlin as Russian forces claim to have captured dozens of buildings in house-to-house fighting for Ukraine’s key eastern stronghold.
As Pokrovsk has become the fiercest area on Ukraine’s front line this year, the fighting for the city now resembles some of the bloodiest and longest battles of the war, notably Bakhmut in 2023 and Avdiyivka in 2024.
A week ago, Ukraine vowed to launch an intensive defensive operation in the area, while Russian forces claimed to have encircled the Ukrainian troops defending the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation as “difficult,” adding that about 314 Russian soldiers are embedded within the city’s districts.
Video provided to RFE/RL by Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps shows Russian soldiers in and around Pokrovsk being targeted by Ukrainian drones.
“The enemy’s No. 1 goal is to occupy Pokrovsk as quickly as possible. This goal remains unchanged,” Zelenskyy said on November 8.
Andriy Hnatov, Ukraine’s chief of general staff of the armed forces, said Russian forces have infiltrated the southern outskirts of the city in an attempt to establish a foothold for further advances.
Ukrainian soldier Andriy confirmed to RFE/RL that Russian forces were advancing in the area, saying the Kremlin’s efforts to capture the city continue despite growing number of casualties.
“They’re using an incredible number of personnel. But again, dozens of Russians are being destroyed by the brigade every day,” Andriy said.
“In the last four months, we’ve killed or wounded about 2,000 Russian soldiers,” he added.
Attempting to storm Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad, Russian forces are trying to seize key roads leading deeper into the Donetsk region and to open a route toward the Dnipropetrovsk region.
While the future of the front line in Donetsk remains uncertain, Moscow appears to be achieving at least one of its objectives.
Through combined drone and missile strikes on the cities, Russia has been depopulating frontline areas, leaving its troops with a clearer path through largely abandoned towns with minimal civilian resistance.
As a result, most residents have fled Pokrovsk, the former industrial city of 60,000, which now lies largely in ruins.
However, some military analysts doubt Russia would be able to quickly capture the area and move on to neighboring cities.
Ukrainian military expert Oleksiy Hetman told RFE/RL that while the situation is growing difficult, Ukrainian forces still have strongholds prepared west of the city, which would allow them to repel further Russian assaults.
“No ‘doors’ or ‘routes’ to Slovyansk or Kramatorsk are being opened. That’s nonsense spread by Russian propaganda,” Hetman added.
