Ukrainian military lines are failing in Pokrovsk, which has seen a massive Russian assault over the past two weeks, with reports saying it is on the verge of falling to the latest offensive.
Ukrainian troops are under immense pressure from the coordinated attacks of the Russian forces in the lead and North Korean troops in the rear. Less than two years after Russia took Avdiivka (a suburb of Donetsk), Pokrovsk could now be taken by Russian troops as another logistical hub, which would be crucial for control of Ukraine's Donetsk region.
Moscow is strengthening its hold on Kupiansk and several other regions, where its forces have imprisoned over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Before the Russia-Ukraine war, Pokrovsk had a population of about 60,000 and was an important industrial and transport node in the Ukrainian-controlled part of Donbas. By the summer of 2025, only about 1,500 people remained.
According to sources, the Russian military has established control over more than 80 per cent of the Pokrovsk region, with fighting now happening in the streets. Experts say that if Ukraine loses Pokrovsk, Russia will turn it into a permanent military base, which it won’t negotiate in the talks later on.
The move could give the Russian side a massive military edge over Ukraine, as it offers thousands of abandoned high-rise buildings, bunkers, and underground shelters where thousands of soldiers could be accommodated.
Ukrainian forces—including drone pilots, electronic warfare and reconnaissance units—would have to retreat to forested areas.
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