Zelensky's announcement, after Ukraine admitted that hundreds of Russian soldiers entered Pokrovsk / Exchanges of fire and drone battles in the strategic city
Soldiers of the Ukrainian National Guard from the 3rd “Spartan” brigade near the front line in the direction of the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk, Ukraine, on August 8, 2025. PHOTO: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP / Profimedia
In the battle for the city of Pokrovsk, eight Russian soldiers are mobilized for every Ukrainian soldier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Kyiv has been consolidating its positions in the city in recent days as urban fighting has continued, the Kyiv Independent writes.
Russia has thrown eight times more troops into the offensive to capture the semi-encircled city of Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Imagine how many Russian forces are there. But at the same time, they did not achieve the planned result,” the Ukrainian leader was quoted as saying by the Kyiv Independent.
After capturing Avdiivka, a Ukrainian stronghold located more than 40 kilometers southeast of Pokrovsk, in February 2024, Russian troops gradually advanced towards Pokrovsk, once an important Ukrainian logistics center hidden in a relatively safe area of Donetsk region.
Russian troops surrounded Pokrovsk on three sides, and the Ukrainian army kept a space of about 15 kilometers to bring in troops and supplies, Ukrainian frontline monitoring group DeepState explained.
All the bridges leading to Pokrovsk have been blown up by the Russian army, and evacuating the wounded is an almost impossible task, said Lt. Major Natalia Stoiko, head of medical services for the 5th Heavy Mechanized Brigade deployed in the Pokrovsk sector, in October.
Stoiko said the Ukrainian military is severely short-staffed and is having difficulty trying to build temporary wooden bridges to allow evacuations.
Western military experts have said it would be crucial for Ukraine to withdraw in time, when it no longer makes tactical sense for its troops to retain control of the city.
Despite the lack of combat power, the Ukrainian army repeatedly retained control of cities that Russia was on the verge of occupying, leading to a chaotic last-minute retreat in which the wounded were often left behind.
The Ukrainian military acknowledged on October 26 that Russia had moved about 200 troops into Pokrovsk, infiltrating small groups of infantry.
Gunfights and drone battles have already taken place in the city.
Russia has been trying for months to capture Pokrovsk, a key part of Kiev's defensive lines in Donetsk.
The 7th Rapid Reaction Unit of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces said on Monday that positions in the city had been strengthened in recent days as urban fighting continued.
“The occupiers, who entered the city, are not trying to control it, but intend to advance further north,” the unit said in a Facebook post. “Thus, the enemy wants to disperse our defense forces and block land logistics corridors,” the military said.
Russia controls about 75% of the Donetsk region. About 6,600 square kilometers are still under Ukrainian control.
Moscow's troops regularly report gradual gains in the region, but have failed to make any strategic progress for over a year.
