Russia tightens the siege on Pokrovsk and forces Ukraine to try to save one of the last bastions of Donetsk

The situation on the front is complicated for the Ukrainian troops. Russia has tightened the siege on Pokrovskone of the last strongholds of the Oblast Donetsk still in control of Ukraine and key in stopping the advance of the invading army.

While the battle rages on the ground, the crossing of versions of the situation reflects two contradictory realities. Moscow claims that thousands of soldiers have been surrounded and have already begun to surrender, but kyiv denies this information and has ordered the deployment of special forces to stop the takeover of the city.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has recognized the difficulty that his soldiers are going through and has described the defense of Pokrovsk and the expulsion of the soldiers who have already infiltrated the area as “the great priority.”

The town, located in the northwest of the region, had about 65,000 inhabitants before the start of the war. After months of siege, barely a thousand civilians remain in an area whose strategic interest is twofold.

On the one hand, Russia intends to capture it to gain a logistical control center that would accelerate the complete takeover of Donetsk, already controlled mostly by Moscow and whose sovereignty is claimed by the Kremlin in each negotiation.

On the other hand, Russia intends to send the message to the United States that Ukraine cannot resist militarily and that the annexation of its objectives in the east of the country is a reasonable solution to the conflict.

Zelensky has been open to Trump’s ceasefire proposal, which would freeze the front line as it is, but Russia demands a complete withdrawal in the 30% of the territory that Ukraine still controls in Donetsk.

The Russian army has amassed some 170,000 soldiers in the region and outnumbers the enemy eight to one. Zelensky has acknowledged that part of these troops (11,000 men, according to Ukrainian army estimates) have infiltrated the urban area and made progress during the week.

The head of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksander Sirski, has acknowledged that the situation is “complicated”, but calls the Kremlin’s statements indicating that thousands of soldiers have been surrounded not only in Pokrovsk, but also in the city of Kupyansk, Kherson region.

The siege on Pokrovsk began to intensify in the summer of 2024, but big Russian advances have come in recent weeks. As in Bakhmut or Mariupol, the city is practically razed.

Tomahawks

Following US President Donald Trump’s rejection of the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to the Ukrainian army, the Pentagon gave the green light this Friday to transfer this critical material to kyiv.

The final decision remains in the hands of the North American president and could mean a new escalation in the conflict, but also the only way to balance an increasingly complex situation on the front.

Trump has even argued that the United States was not going to give away material “necessary to protect its country,” but the Pentagon has prepared a report that determines that providing Ukraine with these missiles would not compromise its security.

Washington has used these missiles, with the capacity to hit long-distance targets (including Moscow), to increase pressure on Ukraine or Russia depending on the moment.

The Republican has expressed frustration over the lack of progress and Moscow’s refusal to consider his plan to reach a ceasefire, something that has led the US to cancel the meeting with Putin that was to take place in Budapest to discuss the future of Ukraine.