Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The city is seeing some of the fiercest fighting along the frontline at the moment.
The city is seeing some of the fiercest fighting along the frontline at the moment.
What is happening?
Ukrainian forces have reportedly broken through Russian defences near the embattled city of Pokrovsk Northwest of the city of Donetsk, raising the prospect of encircling more than 1,000 Russian troops.
Strategic significance Donetsk Region
Pokrovsk sits at a vital logistical junction on Ukraine’s eastern front.
For weeks, it has been under relentless Russian assault, with Moscow seeking a decisive advance in Donetsk.
Capturing the city would be a major step in securing wider control of the Donbas region.
Russian advance before the Alaska summit
Just days ahead of the Alaska peace summit, Russian forces exploited a gap near Dobropillia, pushing six miles into Ukrainian-held territory within 48 hours.
Their goal: to isolate Pokrovsk and Kramatorsk—two of the last remaining strongholds in Ukrainian hands across the eastern theatre.
Ukrainian counteroffensive reclaims lost ground
In a swift and calculated response, Ukrainian military command deployed reserve units to the area.
The counteroffensive has regained lost territory and reportedly led to the capture of multiple Russian soldiers, turning the tide in a matter of days.
According to pro-Kremlin military bloggers, Ukrainian troops achieved a 4-kilometre breach in Russian lines.
A new hotspot
Fighting now centres around the village of Myrne in Kherson Oblast north of the Crimean Peninsula, with intense clashes ongoing.
Analysts say a successful advance here could trap a large Russian contingent.
Risk of Russian encirclement grows
Ukrainian sources suggest that if the momentum continues, over 1,000 Russian troops could be cut off.
Such a scenario would reclaim around 130 square kilometres of contested land—effectively nullifying recent Russian gains and reinforcing Pokrovsk’s defences from the east.
Desperate accounts from the frontline
According to British news media Express, two Russian soldiers from the 5th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade shared a bleak video update from the Myrne front.
“There were only two of us left from the group,” they said. “We asked the commander to let us retreat, but he refused. He said if we roll back, he’ll ‘reset’ us himself.”
Surrender becomes a last resort
Facing overwhelming odds and no support, the soldiers described their decision to surrender.
“We turned off the radio, threw away the machine guns and decided the only option left is to surrender. We are alive, not killed, not wounded.”
Three villages liberated in Donetsk counteroffensive
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed the liberation of three villages—Mykhailivka, Zelenyy Gay, and Volodymyrivka.
While calling the progress significant, he acknowledged the broader situation remains unstable and requires vigilance.
Elite Russian drone unit destroyed
In a separate development, Ukrainian forces successfully located and destroyed the command centre of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit in Donetsk.
The group had been responsible for major losses to Ukrainian equipment and personnel over the past year.
