Russia claims progress in battle for Pokrovsk, the new front line in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Ukraine says its forces are holding the line despite fierce fighting.
Russia said on Monday that its forces have made new advances in Pokrovsk, a key transport and logistics hub in eastern Ukraine that has been the focus of fierce fighting for more than a year. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, troops have entered the city's Prigorodny district, entrenched their positions, and are targeting what Moscow described as "surrounded Ukrainian formations" near the railway station and industrial zone.
Ukraine has disputed those claims, insisting that its troops are still holding their ground under "difficult conditions." Kyiv's military said it had repelled an attempt by Russian forces to cut a key supply route from the nearby town of Rodynske to the north.
Independent verification remains impossible, but open-source mapping from the Ukrainian project Deep State suggests Russian troops control only a small section in Pokrovsk's south, with most of the city still contested.
A potential turning point in the Donetsk region
Before the war, Pokrovsk had around 60,000 residents, most of whom have since fled. Capturing the city would give Russia a crucial platform to advance toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the two largest Ukrainian-held cities in the Donetsk region, a central objective of Moscow's campaign.
If confirmed, the fall of Pokrovsk would represent Russia's most significant gain since Avdiivka in early 2024, following one of the war's deadliest battles. Since then, Russian advances have been gradual but persistent across the 1,000-kilometer front line, as the conflict enters its fourth year with no sign of abating.
Elsewhere, the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces carried out heavy overnight strikes on Ukrainian military and energy infrastructure, hitting an airfield, a repair base, and gas facilities. Moscow also reported progress near Kupiansk, claiming to have pushed Ukrainian troops from several fortified positions, though Kyiv maintains that Russian units have not yet reached the city center and that counterattacks are slowing their advance.
Despite sporadic diplomatic efforts, including attempts by President Donald Trump to revive peace talks, negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have been stalled since July, with both sides preparing for a prolonged and grinding phase of the war.
