(POKROVSK, DONETSK OBLAST) – As global attention focuses on Ukraine’s energy crisis, intense fighting continues along the eastern front, particularly around the towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast.
In an interview with The Kyiv Independent, Volodymyr Polevyi, head of public affairs for the 7th Rapid Response Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces, said Russian forces have maintained steady pressure in the area despite heavy losses.
Polevyi said Russian troops had secured some high ground near Pokrovsk, allowing them to deploy drone teams and electronic warfare systems. This has extended their surveillance and strike capabilities deeper into Ukrainian held territory and complicated supply routes to the north of the city.
According to Polevyi, Russian units have concentrated forces in and around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, using periods of bad weather to probe Ukrainian positions and search for weak points. As a result, the number of assaults has increased in recent months.
He said only about 10 to 20 per cent of the two towns remains under Ukrainian control, mainly in northern districts located beyond the railway line that runs from west to east. Control is fragmented, with Ukrainian and Russian positions often located in neighbouring buildings or even within the same apartment blocks.
“These are not continuous front lines,” Polevyi said. “Some positions are used only for observation, others to protect command and communications. In some places, we control one entrance while the enemy controls another.”
Claims that Pokrovsk or Myrnohrad had been encircled were incorrect, he said. At no point were Ukrainian forces fully cut off from supply routes.
Polevyi explained that so called grey zones, sometimes extending 10 to 15 kilometres, complicate movement along much of the front. These areas are constantly monitored by drones from both sides, making logistics dangerous but still possible.
Supplies and troop rotations are often carried out using unmanned systems, robotic platforms, or under cover of fog and heavy rain. “There has never been a day when these cities were completely surrounded,” he said.
Russian forces have instead relied on gradual pressure along the flanks to force Ukrainian units to withdraw from exposed positions without a formal encirclement.
Pokrovsk was initially a well fortified defensive stronghold located on elevated terrain. Ukrainian troops controlled the city for months, supported by artillery and drone units.
However, Polevyi said Russian forces eventually entered parts of the city after sustaining heavy losses. He said Russian units outnumber Ukrainian troops in infantry, aviation, and missile capabilities, including the use of glide bombs and tactical missiles.
In some areas, Russian infantry outnumber Ukrainian defenders by as much as eight or ten to one, he said. This imbalance has made parts of the frontline increasingly difficult to hold.
Polevyi said the decision to maintain positions in Pokrovsk was made at higher operational and strategic levels, not by frontline commanders. He added that the town also carries political and diplomatic significance.
Pokrovsk no longer functions as a major logistics hub, as its roads and railway lines have been severely damaged and are unlikely to be restored soon. Instead, its current value is mainly tactical.
Previously, the town served as a gateway toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, two major fortified centres in northern Donetsk Oblast. Polevyi said any Russian attempt to storm this area would require years and would result in very heavy losses.
He added that new Ukrainian defensive lines have already been constructed behind Pokrovsk. These lines include anti tank ditches, barbed wire, concrete obstacles, minefields, and layered fortifications extending tens of kilometres.
Publicly available aerial images, he said, show several prepared defensive belts designed to stop infantry and light vehicle assaults.
“There is no open operational space for the enemy,” Polevyi said. “At every metre they will meet prepared defences.”
While Ukrainian forces face shortages in personnel, Polevyi said the balance in artillery, drones, and electronic warfare systems is more even. In some areas, Ukraine maintains an advantage in armoured vehicles.
He estimated that Russian losses in the sector are around six times higher than Ukrainian losses during offensive operations.
In January alone, Ukrainian forces inflicted about 2,000 killed or wounded on Russian troops in the Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad area, he said. Over six months, total losses in the sector may have reached around 12,000.
Winter conditions have increased Russian casualties, he added. Troops are often forced to advance across open ground without shelter, leading to exposure, exhaustion, and loss of morale.
Russian tactics remain largely unchanged, relying on small group infiltration to slip between Ukrainian positions and gradually occupy limited areas. Major breakthroughs have not occurred in the sector.
Looking ahead to spring and summer, Polevyi said improved weather and vegetation would benefit both sides. Better conditions would also help Ukrainian logistics.
He said Ukrainian forces have prepared extensive kill zones in front of their positions and remain confident in their ability to continue resisting Russian advances.
“As difficult as it is, the armed forces are ready to fight on,” he said. “We are prepared for another campaign.”
