Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared the defense of Pokrovsk a priority, deploying elite special forces to the embattled town on the eastern front line. Ukrainian army sources confirmed to the BBC that special forces from military intelligence and assault groups were deployed as regular infantry aimed at protecting supply lines for troops holding the town in the Donbas region.
Reports indicate that Russian forces have been making advances around this strategic location, which lies west of Donetsk, although Ukraine has dismissed claims of their troops being surrounded. Moscow is pressing Kyiv to concede the entire Donbas region as part of a peace agreement, which currently includes territories that Russia does not control.
Currently, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, annexed in 2014. The deployment of Ukrainian special forces suggests a determination within Kyiv to retain control of Pokrovsk, a town sought after by Russia for over a year.
There are indications that Ukrainian military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, was present in the region to personally oversee operations. As a significant transport and supply hub, the capture of Pokrovsk could facilitate Russian efforts to take over the surrounding area further.
However, capturing Pokrovsk could also lend credence to Russia’s narrative of military success, potentially influencing Western perceptions and diplomatic negotiations. As tensions escalate, US President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the Kremlin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, resulting in sanctions against Russia’s top oil producers.
Zelensky remains open to Trump's ceasefire proposal, which would freeze the current frontline but Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the remaining Donbas. During a recent nightly address, Zelensky asserted that Pokrovsk is our priority. We continue to destroy the occupier, and that is what matters most... They must be halted where they have reached - and destroyed there.
Visuals shared with news agencies depicted a Ukrainian Black Hawk helicopter deploying troops near Pokrovsk, although the exact details remain unverified. Russia claims it thwarted the arrival of Ukrainian special forces via helicopter, asserting that all onboard were killed.
According to a military source, while Ukrainian forces are not encircled physically, they are under operational pressure due to hostile fire targeting their supply routes. Heavy fighting continues over key locations like the railway station and industrial zone, substantially restricting logistics.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War reports that Ukrainian forces have made slight advances in counter-attacks around Pokrovsk, yet the town remains a contested 'grey zone'.
