In the midst of the Russian offensive on Ukrainian territory, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyj announced that Ukraine managed to regain part of the city of Pokrovskafter losing its presence there at the beginning of the fall.
During a press conference on December 9, which was repeated by the Ukrainian media Kiev independentSyrskyi claimed: “The defense of Pokrovsk continuesIn this sense, he explained that since mid-November the Ukrainian armed forces have recaptured around 13 square kilometers of the 29 square kilometer city.
The officer announced that the number of Ukrainian troops stationed in the region was expected to increase, but confirmed that Ukrainian units were withdrawing from positions 5 and 7 kilometers from Pokrovsk in the face of the Russian advance, noting that their stay in the region was no longer tenable.
The commander noted that Russia had increased the concentration of troops in the disputed area more than 155,000 soldiers deployedand that between 40% and 50% of all KAB glide bombs used by Russia on the front line are used at this location.
Syrskyi added that the neighboring city of Myrnohrad was not surrounded, but admitted that logistical operations in the area had become more complicated in recent months.
On December 5th the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces They also assured that both Pokrovsk as Myrnohrad They were not surrounded and disputed Russian reports that Pokrovsk had been taken.
Pokrovsk is considered one of the most important fortress cities in the oblast Donetskremains one of the most contested flashpoints on the front line and Ukrainian forces have withstood fierce Russian attacks over the past year.
Videos of the city taken before and after the Russian invasion illustrate the extent of the destruction in this eastern Ukrainian city. Aerial images show buildings reduced to rubble, bridges collapsed and entire neighborhoods unrecognizable – in stark contrast to the scenes captured by Orbita TV in 2019, when the city appeared full of life: streets full of cars, residents walking with their families, young people on bikes and squares full of public celebrations.
In one of these recordings, citizens can be seen releasing blue and yellow balloons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, during a social event.
The latest videos compiled by Reuters between September 2024 and February 2025 reflect a deeply war-torn Pokrovsk: heavily damaged or demolished buildings, deserted streets, a completely destroyed railway bridge and the local university reduced to ruins. Comparing the images illustrates the devastating impact that the conflict has left on this city in the Donetsk region.
Russia, in turn, encountered particularly fierce Ukrainian resistance in its attempt to take the city from mid-2024. Pokrovsk was once an important logistics center for the Ukrainian army, which made the city the scene of particularly fierce and protracted fighting.
President Vladimir Putin described the capture of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine as an important victory achieved after a long campaign, according to his commanders.
“I want to thank you. This is an important direction. We all understand how important it is,” Vladimir Putin, dressed in military uniform and sitting in a command center, said during a Dec. 2 meeting with military leadership.
“In the future, it will guarantee solutions to the tasks we set ourselves at the beginning special military operationPutin added, using the term Moscow uses to describe its military invasion of Ukrainian territory, now approaching four years.
(With information from Reuters)
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