Russian troops are intensifying their push around Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's military reported Monday, as Moscow seeks to capture this strategic railway hub in the Donetsk region. The city, which had a pre-war population of 60,000, has been the site of fierce fighting since last year. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed its forces still hold the northern part of Pokrovsk while defending nearby Myrnohrad.

Moscow claimed to have captured Pokrovsk late last year, a claim Kyiv immediately denied. Analysts note Russia has seized only about 1.3% of Ukrainian territory since early 2023, though its aerial bombardments have severely damaged Ukraine's power infrastructure. The 7th Rapid Response Corps reported Russian forces are exploiting "insufficient" Ukrainian air defenses, using guided bombs and leveraging their manpower advantage.

Ukrainian open-source researchers DeepState described the current fighting as "the last battles" for Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, with their maps showing nearly all of Pokrovsk under Russian control. The fall of Pokrovsk would mark Russia's biggest battlefield victory since capturing Avdiivka in early 2024. Nearly four years into the invasion, Russia occupies almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. Moscow demands Ukraine relinquish the remaining 20% of the Donetsk region, which Kyiv refuses to do.