Ukraine’s top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced that Ukrainian troops remain steadfast in their defence of Pokrovsk, a vital logistics and transport hub in Donetsk oblast, despite ongoing Russian offensives. Pokrovsk, a city with strategic importance due to its road and rail networks, has been under threat for months as Russian forces push westward in their attempts to secure more territory in the eastern front of the war.

Speaking on Friday, Syrskyi reported to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Ukrainian forces are successfully containing Russian advances and destroying sabotage units trying to breach defensive lines. “The enemy continues to use small infantry groups but has failed in its attempts to seize Pokrovsk,” Syrskyi said, noting the latest Russian attempts to infiltrate Ukrainian positions had been exposed and neutralised.

President Zelenskiy, in his nightly address, praised the Ukrainian defenders of Pokrovsk for preventing Russian forces from making further inroads. He highlighted the resilience of soldiers thwarting Russian efforts to penetrate Ukrainian towns and villages. “No such Russian group will have a chance of survival,” Zelenskiy declared.

Russian Forces Make Slow Progress

Russia’s military claims daily progress in Donetsk, announcing on Thursday the capture of the village of Popiv Yar, a step closer to Pokrovsk. However, Ukraine has reported intermittent success in pushing Russian troops back from several positions in recent months. Pokrovsk’s pre-war population of 60,000 has mostly been evacuated, and the area remains a crucial supply route for Ukrainian forces holding other frontlines in the east.

Despite the constant shelling and fighting, Ukraine’s only coking coal mine, key for its steel industry, remains idle on the outskirts of the city, underlining the war’s impact on the region’s economy.

Kyiv Shifts Military Leadership Amid War Pressure

The military update came during a week of political change in Kyiv. President Zelenskiy appointed Yulia Svyrydenko as the new Prime Minister and reassigned former PM Denys Shmyhal to lead the Ministry of Defence. Former Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was moved to head the National Security and Defence Council with orders to reinvigorate efforts for potential peace talks with Russia.

Air defence units in Kyiv also intercepted Russian drone attacks on Friday, with debris from one drone landing in a residential area but causing no casualties.