Russian forces are poised to finally capture Pokrovsk, a symbolically important victory with a heavy cost

CNN:

Russian forces appear to be on the brink of finally seizing the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a symbolic victory that President Vladimir Putin has been pursuing for 21 months at an increasingly heavy cost.

Fighting inside the city has intensified in the past few days, after Russian troops successfully infiltrated it. The fall of Pokrovsk – the strategic value of which has already been greatly diminished but would nevertheless represent the biggest win for Moscow since 2023 – now seems almost inevitable, according to those on the ground.

While Kyiv denied Russian claims that Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk have already been surrounded, saying on Wednesday that active operations stopping the Russian advance were still ongoing, Ukrainian soldiers on the ground have described an increasingly grim reality.

“The situation is difficult, with all types of fighting going on, firefights in urban areas, and shelling with all types of weapons,” one battalion commander told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“We are almost surrounded, but we are used to it,” he said. Another soldier, who also asked for his name to be withheld for safety reasons, told CNN the Russian military continues to press forward with large numbers of men.