The Russian offensive continues in Pokrovsk. Every conquered meter comes with a price that Moscow can not even afford a long time

After more than 16 months of uninterrupted offensives, Russian troops are closer than ever to Pokrovsk – the city of eastern Ukraine that has become the symbol of a fierce resistance. But, as things evolve, the road to its conquest could take a year and tens of thousands of lives, writes Kyiv Post.

Fierce struggles at Pokrovsk/Photo: Profimedia

On Wednesday, the General Staff of Ukraine declared the Pokrovsk area as the hottest point on the entire line of the front, with one third of the active struggles concentrating in this sector. The struggles are already taking place less than 6 kilometers from the city.

Gradually taken over in the viewfinder of the Russian artillery since February 2024, Pokrovsk – a logistics knot with a population of about 60,000 people, before the war, – has become the objective of a slow, expensive but perseverance offensive. So far, Russian forces have submitted about 30 kilometers, with the price of thousands of lost soldiers.

The purpose of Moscow

According to military analyst Konstantin Masoveț, the purpose of Moscow is not necessarily the conquest of the city by direct force, but the systematic erosion of the Ukrainian forces and the interception of the supply lines through drones and artillery shots. In the field, this strategy means days of struggles for each village, every field, every building left.

The pressure points have recently moved to the northeast and southwest of the city-especially on Kotlîne and Rodînske. The battle for Kotlîne lasts for months, the control changing periodically. At the beginning of the week, Russian forces stated that they regained the settlement, while Ukraine claims that the Russian patrols were expelled.

In Rodînske – a town with 10,000 inhabitants before the war – the fights started in July, after the locality was hit with artillery and air bombs. The Russian army states that it has entered the city and the neighboring village of Bilîțke. The Ukrainian brigade “Rubij”, present in the area, has published images of FPV drones that hunt Russian troops just a few kilometers from Rodînske.

A front that widens, does not tighten

“Perhaps because of lack of troops, the front is no longer narrowing, but widen”says “Taika”, commander of a research unit, in an interview given to the military journalist Iuri Butusov. “Between our positions appear 200-300 meters. The Russians enter through them with motorcycles, infiltrate and begin to dig trenches behind us. We have the task to find and eliminate them. We do not always succeed.”

The images obtained by Kyiv Post show how the soldiers in the Rubij brigade are fighting near the city. Other sources, including the National Guard, have published recordings of FPV killers who follow wandering or injured Russian soldiers. In a message published on an internal Telegram channel, a drone operator noted: “Welcome to hell, occupants.”

“Nothing resembles what I lived before”

In a statement granted at the end of July to the post Radio Svoboda, an officer in the 155 brigade, trained by the French army, confirmed that the city of Pokrovsk remains under Ukrainian control and that the defense line is maintained. Images distributed by the unit on August 1 shows a 2A4 leopard tank goning on the lateral streets of the city, pulling in unknown targets.

Residents who have refused the evacuation can be seen wandering among blocks with broken facades, reduced administrative buildings at concrete skeletons and a train station that has no trains.

The situation on the access roads in the city is just as bleak. Russian drones have reached, from May, in positions from which they can attack military and civilian vehicles. Russian artillery has started to directly hit the supply routes since June.

“It's crazy how many drones are. I can't even compare anything else to live so far. Logistics are closed, one by one. It's a disaster.”says “teaka”. Pokrovsk is not just a target. It's a red line.

For the Russian army, Pokrovsk means a strategic point on the map. For the Ukrainian army, it means a line of demarcation between loss and resistance.

The Russian offensive continues. But every conquered meter comes with a price that Moscow can not even afford.