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Ukraine Fights to Hold Pokrovsk as Russian Forces Close In on Key Eastern City
Ukraine faces fierce Russian assaults in Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Donetsk. Analysts warn the situation is “on the verge of critical,” as Moscow pushes to encircle the city.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-10-29
Ukraine Fights to Hold Pokrovsk as Russian Forces Close In on Key Eastern City

Ukrainian forces are under mounting pressure in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, where Russian troops are intensifying their advance in an effort to seize one of the last major Ukrainian strongholds in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine’s 7th Corps said on Wednesday that Moscow has deployed roughly 11,000 troops in a coordinated attempt to encircle Pokrovsk, a key logistics and supply hub. Enemy units already operating inside the city are now pushing north and northwest in an effort to expand their foothold.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged earlier this week that around 200 Russian soldiers had infiltrated parts of Pokrovsk. He said the city’s fall would be a symbolic and strategic victory for Moscow, marking a significant step toward taking the rest of the Donbas region.

“Capturing Pokrovsk would allow Russia to advance toward Kostiantynivka and beyond, threatening Ukraine’s remaining control in Donetsk,” Zelenskiy said, while insisting that Kyiv’s forces continue to hold key defensive lines.

Open-source intelligence group DeepState warned that Russia has cut off a vital supply route to the neighboring city of Myrnohrad using infantry ambushes and drone strikes. The group described the situation as “on the verge of critical,” urging Ukraine to deploy an entire brigade to prevent further enemy breakthroughs.

“The situation continues to deteriorate to the point that fixing everything may soon be too late,” DeepState wrote, sharing footage purportedly showing Ukrainian troops tearing down a Russian flag briefly raised at the city’s entrance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Wednesday that his forces had surrounded Ukrainian troops in both Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. Kyiv dismissed the Kupiansk claim as “fantasy,” saying Ukrainian defenses remained intact.

Reuters said it could not independently verify reports from either side.

The escalation around Pokrovsk comes amid a renewed Russian offensive and faltering diplomatic efforts to end the war, now entering its fourth year. The Kremlin continues to demand Ukraine surrender all of Donbas as a precondition for peace — an offer Kyiv has flatly rejected.

Zelenskiy argued that Russia’s prolonged struggle to capture Pokrovsk demonstrates its weakening military capacity.
“The fact that we still hold Pokrovsk, despite a year of their assaults, proves to the world that Russia’s campaign is faltering,” he told reporters.

For now, Pokrovsk stands as the latest flashpoint in a grinding battle that could decide control of eastern Ukraine — and the course of the war itself.
Tagged:

ukrainewar

RussiaUkraineConflict

Pokrovsk

Donetsk
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