Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the defense of Pokrovsk is a priority, as elite special forces are deployed to the embattled town on the eastern front line.
Ukrainian army sources informed the BBC that special forces from military intelligence and assault groups are acting as regular infantry to protect supply lines to troops holding the town in the Donbas region. Reports have surfaced regarding advancing Russian forces surrounding the strategic town to the west of Donetsk, although Ukraine has denied their forces are encircled.
Moscow seeks to have Kyiv concede the entire Donbas region, including areas it presently does not control. Russia currently oversees about 20% of Ukrainian territory, having annexed Crimea in 2014.
The recent deployment of special forces indicates that officials in Kyiv are resolute in holding onto Pokrovsk, which Russia has been attempting to capture for over a year.
Local media suggests that Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, is in the region to supervise operations personally. Pokrovsk is a crucial transport and supply hub; its capture could pave the way for Russian control over the remaining parts of the region. Kyiv believes that losing this town could also assist Russia in convincing the US that its military actions are progressing successfully, potentially leading Western nations to acquiesce to Moscow's demands.
Despite frustrations in Washington regarding stalled peace negotiations, President Zelensky has shown openness to a ceasefire proposal that would freeze the conflict along current lines. Russia, however, insists that Ukrainian troops vacate the remaining parts of Donbas.
In a nightly address, Zelensky emphasized, Pokrovsk is our priority. We continue to destroy the occupier, and that is what matters most... They must be halted where they have reached - and destroyed there.
Images suggest that Ukrainian troops deployed via a Black Hawk helicopter near Pokrovsk, although the origins of these visuals remain unverified. Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry claims it thwarted the operation, stating that all members of an 11-troop unit were killed when they landed.
Reports indicate that approximately half of Pokrovsk is situated in a grey zone, with neither side exerting full control. A source in Donetsk confirmed that while Ukrainian forces are not physically surrounded, their supply lines are under threat from Russian artillery fire, prompting the deployment of elite units to stabilize the situation.
The Institute for the Study of War noted that while Ukrainian forces have made slight advances in counter-offensives north of Pokrovsk, the area remains a contested battleground. Fighting has intensified around key transport links, escalating the struggle for logistical control.
