Russian forces are inching closer to a key Ukrainian city which, if seized, would allow Moscow to solidify control over a large swathe of occupied east Ukraine.
The maneuvers come as Russian forces make inroads towards the strategically vital city of Pokrovsk, and suggest that Moscow may be attempting a pincer movement to surround and besiege the city.
Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Pokrovsk and nearby Chasiv Yar. Pokrovsk is a key logistical hub that furnishes supplies to much of the front lines and Chasiv Yar sits atop a strategic hilltop.
The fall of one or both of the cities could allow Russian forces to solidify their grip on the Donetsk region and possibly allow Moscow to launch a new major offensive into neighboring Dnipro in central Ukraine.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Friday that Ukrainian troops had repelled 71 attacks by the Russian army toward Pokrovsk in a single day, which would account for almost half of all Russian attacks along the entire front line.
The push also follows the Russian seizure of another strategically important town earlier in the week, when Moscow announced the fall of Velyka Novosilka, which had around 5,000 residents before the war, following a months-long battle.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to pressure Moscow and Kyiv into a cease-fire, which has likely prompted both Moscow and Kyiv to pursue riskier tactics in order to secure key battlefield gains ahead of a potential settlement.
Russian forces have been waging an intense campaign to punch holes in Ukraine’s defenses in Donetsk, which has been the site of near-constant fighting since 2014.
It was at that time that Russian-backed paramilitary groups overthrew the local government and declared the establishment of a new independent state known as the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
The DPR was almost universally condemned as a Russian puppet state and was not internationally recognized by any nation until 2022. At that time, Moscow declared the DPR legitimate and, three days later, launched its invasion into Ukraine.
If Russia manages to seize Pokrovsk and thereby solidify its control of Donetsk, Kyiv could come under international pressure to formally cede the territory in a negotiated settlement.
To that end, Russia captured the Donetsk cities of Avdiivka and Vuhledar last year after long and grueling battles. Those cities were largely leveled by Russian artillery, glide bombs, and drones before they fell.