Russian troops are closing in on their biggest victory since the fall of Bakhmut more than two years ago - the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. The battle for Pokrovsk is among the bloodiest of the entire war, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Pokrovsk, which had an estimated 60,000 people before the war, is now almost completely destroyed. Fierce street fighting continues in the city, and Ukrainian soldiers report that Russian forces are advancing in small groups, dug in in basements and the ruins of buildings.
The Ukrainian military acknowledges that the Russians have an advantage in the city - both in numbers and equipment. Drones are constantly buzzing over Pokrovsk, and according to one officer, "for every Ukrainian drone there are up to ten Russian ones." "They dominate the sky - the drones' roar never stops, not even for a second," the officer added, UNIAN reported.
Ukraine denies Moscow's claim that its forces in the city are surrounded, but acknowledges the extreme complexity of the situation. Analysts believe Pokrovsk could fall within weeks, although the pace of the Russian offensive remains slow.
Both sides are suffering huge losses, and drones and artillery have reduced the city to ruins.
An officer from the 68th Brigade said it was time to retreat from the city: "The losses are not worth it. They are simply pointless. There is no way, even with more reinforcements, to retake the city." However, President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Ukrainian forces not to give up their positions.
If Ukraine withdraws from Pokrovsk, it will likely have to abandon neighboring Mirnograd, which is already under threat of encirclement.
Taking Pokrovsk would be Moscow's biggest success since 2023 and would give the Kremlin a symbolic victory amid dictator Vladimir Putin's declarations of Kiev's "inevitable defeat." However, analysts note that even if that were achieved, the Kremlin's main goal - the conquest of all of Ukraine - remains distant.