Kathrine Frich
After nearly four years of war, the eastern front remains one of the most contested parts of Ukraine.
Towns once viewed as stable logistics hubs have turned into battlegrounds where drones, infantry and artillery determine every shift in ground.
It is a landscape shaped by constant pressure, with both sides trying to prove they can still hold their positions.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine’s defenders say they are determined to demonstrate that control of key areas has not slipped as far as Moscow claims.
Battle for the city
A BBC team visiting Ukrainian positions near Pokrovsk was shown how troops monitor dozens of live drone feeds from a command post set far from the immediate fighting.
Orders moved quickly over the radio as soldiers coordinated strikes on Russian units operating inside the city.
The commander of the Skala Assault Regiment, Yuri, insisted that Ukraine still holds the northern part of Pokrovsk despite Kremlin claims.
To demonstrate this, he asked fighters to briefly raise a Ukrainian flag outside a damaged building.
They moved fast to avoid being spotted. Afterward, Yuri said, “Now you have seen it with your own eyes.”
He added that showing their continued presence is essential. “I think the whole world should know that we are not going to just give up our territory.”
Holding the line
The battle has stretched on for nearly eighteen months and left Pokrovsk in ruins.
Analysts tracking Russia’s advance have noted that Ukrainian units are under strain, with Russian forces pushing from the south while Kyiv’s troops defend the line near the railway.
In a nearby unit, a commander known as Sasha laid out a map with markers showing Ukrainian and Russian positions.
He explained how small Russian groups slip behind Ukrainian lines, sometimes dressed as civilians, before being detected.
“The enemy that gets behind us is identified quickly. It takes 15 to 20 minutes from detection to destruction,” he said.
Despite heavy Russian losses, troops say the pressure remains constant.
A soldier called Rabbit showed documents taken from dead Russians but remarked, “Not enough,” when asked how many he believed had been killed.
Strain on both sides
Fighters described exhaustion but rejected suggestions that more territory should be traded for peace.
“We are part of this territory. If we give it up, Russia will want more,” Rabbit said.
Others highlighted the intensity of drone warfare. A soldier named Khotabych said it was frightening when thermal imaging drones located their positions.
Fog or rain, he noted, were the only conditions that offered relief.
A Latvian volunteer known as The Godfather said his country understood the stakes.
He expressed concern over Western diplomacy, arguing that delays and mixed signals weaken support for Ukraine.
For now, soldiers stressed they remain determined to prove that Pokrovsk has not been taken and that Ukrainian forces continue to resist on one of the war’s most critical fronts.
Sources: BBC News. Digi24.ro.
