Russia’s top military commander, Valery Gerasimov, has inspected Russian forces fighting in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, highlighting the Kremlin’s continued focus on capturing strategic territory. His visit to the “Centre” group of forces operating in the Pokrovsk area underscores Russia’s intent to press its advantage despite Ukraine’s resistance and ongoing Western support.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed Gerasimov’s inspection of units around Pokrovsk, an area Moscow still refers to by its Soviet-era name, Krasnoarmeisk. The region remains a focal point of Russia’s broader strategy to seize full control of the Donetsk region as part of its wider war objectives.

A video released by the ministry showed Gerasimov meeting officers and receiving battlefield updates, reinforcing his personal involvement in overseeing front-line operations.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its forces captured two more settlements, Mayak in the Donetsk People's Republic and Malynivka in Zaporizhzhia, claiming continued advances along the front.

Moscow currently controls about 19% of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory, including Crimea, Luhansk, over 70% of Donetsk, as well as large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Fragmented areas of Kharkiv and Sumy regions also remain under Russian occupation.

Gerasimov’s visit comes as Russia intensifies military efforts across these areas, aiming to consolidate its territorial gains amid a grinding war of attrition.