Battles for Pokrovsk: what is the main threat to the fall of the city in the Donetsk region?
Фото: Reuters
Columnist Samuel Ramani said that the fall of Pokrovsk would not have a significant impact on the situation on the front. However, the consequences for the morale and internal unity of Ukraine could be much more serious.
This is reported by The Telegraph .
After nearly seventeen months of fighting, Russia is on the verge of capturing Pokrovsk. Journalists have noted that while the event may be seen as a turning point, its tactical impact in the short term will be limited.
Military analysts call the Russian victory in Pokrovsk a Pyrrhic victory, as it was accompanied by significant losses of personnel. At the same time, the city has important logistical importance due to the presence of railways and transport junctions leading to Konstantinovka, Donetsk, Dnipro and Zaporizhia.
Journalists assessed that the situation for Ukrainian units in the Pokrovsk area is complicated by the need to overcome dangerous areas of terrain to hold positions and evacuate the wounded.
Despite this, the strategic impact of the event remains uncertain. Analysts point out that Ukraine lost the use of Pokrovsk as a logistics hub in July 2025, and the Ukrainian army retains control of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. This suggests that Moscow is still far from realizing its plan to fully control Donetsk.
The journalists paid special attention to the internal consequences for Ukraine. According to Samuel Ramani, the fall of Pokrovsk could exacerbate tensions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the top military leadership. The article recalls that a similar situation arose during the defense of Bakhmut, when there were discussions about the advisability of holding the city.
The article quoted the columnist’s assessment that “by capturing Pokrovsk, Russia could exacerbate the contradictions between Zelensky and the top military leadership and further undermine Ukraine’s fighting spirit.” He also cited the opinions of Ukrainian sources who believe that the current situation resembles discussions during the defense of Bakhmut.
The article emphasizes that a combination of factors, including the possible loss of Pokrovsk, prolonged power outages, instability of Western aid, a corruption scandal in the energy sector, and the emigration of men of military age, have affected public sentiment in Ukraine.
The journalists concluded that the key danger of the event lies not in the military outcomes, but in the potential impact on the moral state of Ukrainian society and the internal unity of the country.
By the way, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the main tasks of the Ukrainian military in Pokrovsk are to gradually take control of certain areas , support and protect existing logistical routes.
It was previously reported that the situation in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, remains difficult. Russian troops are seeking to create conditions there for a complete encirclement of the city .
As a reminder, Russian troops are actively strengthening their positions in Pokrovsk and accumulating resources capable of conducting surveillance and striking the entire settlement.
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