Putin announces the seizure of Pokrovsk after a year of fierce fighting to pressure Ukraine in peace negotiations

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Vladimir Putin announced the capture of Pokrovsk after more than a year of intense fighting and thousands of casualties in the Donetsk region.

The fall of Pokrovsk, if confirmed, will allow Russian forces to advance towards Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, the largest cities under Ukrainian control in Donetsk.

Kiev continues to deny the complete loss of the city, while Russian channels broadcast pictures of soldiers in the center of Pokrovsk.

The operation comes on the eve of an important meeting between Putin and US representatives to discuss a possible peace plan in Ukraine.

Hours ago It is a meeting that appears essential for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin He wanted to make a publicity stunt and celebrate Capture of the city of Pokrovsk. After a bloody battle for the city of Donetsk that ended Thousands of victimsThe Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces informed the Kremlin leader of progress on the ground, although Kiev and channels monitoring the conflict have been denying the complete fall of the Maidan for days.

He pointed out that “the forces of the Vostok (Eastern) Military Group liberated the city of Krasnoarmeysk (the Russian name for Pokrovsk) and continue to annihilate enemy units in Dimitrov (Mirnograd, the satellite city of Pokrovsk).” Valery Gerasimov During Putin’s visit to the military headquarters of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, which was broadcast on public television.

The Russian autocrat, dressed in military uniform, thanked the army for seizing Pokrovsk, The city whose soldiers have been trying to surrender it since mid-2024He stressed the importance of this sector of the Ukrainian front because “it will allow solving all the main tasks that were set in motion from the beginning when we started the special military operation.”

The fall of Pokrovsk, if confirmed, would give Moscow a platform to advance north toward the two largest cities still under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk region: Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. This would be Russia’s most important victory since the capture of Adiivka early last year.

Kiev did not respond to Putin’s words, but insisted that its forces had in recent weeks contained Russian infiltration groups in the north of the city, which had a pre-war population of more than 60,000 people and is located Close to the only source of coke minerals From Ukraine. Russian channels publish video clips of soldiers supposedly present in the center of the city of Pokrovsk.

The alleged seizure of the city comes as the United States accelerates its efforts to reach a peace deal for Ukraine. Putin is scheduled to meet with the US President’s special envoy in the Kremlin on Tuesday afternoon Donald Trump, Steve WitkoffAnd his son-in-law, Jared KushnerTo discuss a possible draft of the peace plan after his meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.

From the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation warned that Propaganda statements by the head of the Kremlin It targets “exclusively a Western audience” and strengthens their position at the negotiating table. The head of this body stressed that Vovchansk, another city that Russia claims to have captured, is still under the control of Ukrainian forces, although he did not comment on Pokrovsk.

Commander of the Central Military Group Valery Solodchuk explained to Putin that Russian forces are now trying to eliminate enemy soldiers who remain in Pokrovsk and MirnogradIts satellite city.

Andrei Ivaev, Commander of the Eastern Military Group, commented on the situation in other areas of the front. In Zaporia, where the Russian army has made significant advances in recent weeks, Russian forces reached the Gayshore River and They started the battle for HuliaipoleIt is an important Ukrainian stronghold in this region.

According to what was reported by the Ukrainian platform DeepState. Russia occupied 505 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in November. 40% of the progress was recorded specifically in the Zaporizhzhya region. During November, Putin’s forces were able to occupy only 267 square kilometers.