The leading military figure in Ukraine has acknowledged that his forces are enduring “challenging conditions” while defending Pokrovsk – a strategically important town on the eastern front – from concentrated Russian military units.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Ukrainian soldiers are up against a “multi-thousand enemy” contingent – but refuted Russian assertions that they are encircled or impeded.
He confirmed that elite special forces have been dispatched to safeguard crucial supply routes, which army sources indicated are under fire from Russian forces.
The Moscow defense ministry claimed that Ukrainian personnel were surrendering and that 11 of their special forces were killed after a helicopter landing, a statement denied by Kyiv.
In posts made on Telegram on Saturday, General Syrskyi mentioned that he was “back on the front” to directly receive updates from military leaders in the eastern Donetsk region.
In a brief video, Syrskyi can be seen examining battlefield maps alongside other commanders, including Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov.
The timing and location of the recorded footage are not clear.
Ukrainian outlets previously mentioned that Budanov visited the area to oversee the special forces’ operations personally.
The engagement of special forces indicates that officials in Kyiv are resolute in their attempts to retain control of the town, which Russia has aimed to capture for over a year.
Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps reported on Saturday that Ukrainian troops “have enhanced [their] tactical position” in Pokrovsk – but the circumstances remain “challenging and fluid”.
On late Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted that the defense of Pokrovsk was a “priority”.
There have been increasing reports of Russian progress around the strategically relevant town to the west of the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk.
Images released to news agencies late on Friday seem to depict a Ukrainian Black Hawk helicopter deploying approximately 10 personnel near Pokrovsk, though the exact location and date remain unverified.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed it had disrupted the deployment of Ukrainian military intelligence special forces to the north-west of the town, resulting in the deaths of all 11 troops who landed by helicopter.
DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source monitoring organization, approximates that about half of Pokrovsk constitutes a so-called “grey zone” where neither party exercises full control.
A military source in Donetsk informed the BBC that Ukrainian forces were not encircled but their supply routes were being targeted by Russian troops.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War indicated that Ukrainian forces had “marginally advanced” in recent counter-offensives north of Pokrovsk, but stated the town is “primarily a contested ‘grey zone'”.
Moscow desires Kyiv to relinquish the Donetsk and nearby Luhansk regions (collectively known as Donbas) as part of a peace agreement, including areas currently beyond its control.
Russia commenced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and presently governs around 20% of Ukrainian territory, which includes the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Pokrovsk serves as a vital transportation and supply center, and its acquisition could facilitate Russian attempts to capture the remainder of the region.
However, Kyiv also believes that its seizure would assist Russia in persuading the US that its military efforts are succeeding – thus bolstering its demands.
Washington has been increasingly exasperated with the Kremlin’s inability to advance peace discussions – culminating in US President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on the two largest Russian oil companies and cancelling plans for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky has publicly concurred with Trump’s suggestion for a ceasefire that would stabilize the war along the current front lines.
Putin, however, is unwilling to accept, insisting on his maximalist pre-invasion conditions that Kyiv and its Western partners view as a de facto surrender of Ukraine.
Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv
