Both Russia and Ukraine have in recent weeks redirected forces towards Pokrovsk, which is located at the western end of the largely Russian-occupied Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian side claims to have almost taken control of the entire city. However, Ukraine claims to have made successful counterattacks, with high Russian costs in soldier lives. Hard-to-verify reports from inside the city indicate frequent battles in an urban environment: street by street, house by house.
"All units that can fight are here right now: infantry, special forces and everyone else. Everyone is doing what they can," said Vadym Krykun, commander of a Ukrainian brigade, late last week.
Laid in ruins
For the past year or so, Russia's invasion has been grinding on in deadly frontline battles in eastern Ukraine. The battle line has since moved nearly 25 miles inland, reaching Pokrovsk. The city had a population of about 60,000 before the major outbreak of war in early 2022. Now, almost the entire city has been reduced to rubble.
Pokrovsk has at least previously been an important logistical node for the Ukrainian defense. Much of that logistics has had to be rearranged, but geographically the city lies in a belt of fortified towns in Donetsk that Russia has so far failed to break through.
There are divided opinions among war analysts about how big a breakthrough Russia would achieve: whether it would constitute a springboard towards other cities in the belt and further into Ukraine, or whether it would continue with very small movements at the front and very large losses in soldiers.
“Don't like losers”
Pokrovsk also has great symbolic value, against the backdrop of the US's stranded attempts at peace negotiations, where President Donald Trump has swung sharply back and forth.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up the entire Donbass region in a peace settlement, but Trump has called for a willingness to compromise. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj believes that Russia wants to take Pokrovsk to try to show the US president that the war is only going in one direction – Russian victory – unless the demands are accepted.
A capture of Pokrovsk would thus be a propaganda victory for Russia, according to Ukraine expert Peter Dickinson at the Atlantic Council think tank:
Trump doesn't like losers. He likes to side with winners. The Russians will portray this as a big victory.
