Pokrovsk has not fallen — despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent claim that Russian forces have captured the city, reports the BBC.
There is no doubt that Ukraine has lost ground in this key eastern city. For Russia, Pokrovsk represents another step toward its goal of controlling the entire Donbas region. But Ukraine must demonstrate that it is still capable of resisting.
From a command post away from the front line, orders are relayed rapidly via radio. Soldiers monitor dozens of live drone feeds, coordinating strikes on Russian positions within the city.
Yuri, commander of the Skala Assault Regiment, is eager to prove that Ukraine still controls the northern part of the city — to show that the Kremlin’s claim of having taken Pokrovsk is false.
Through the radio, they instruct two soldiers to briefly step out from cover on a building to display a Ukrainian flag. They move quickly to avoid detection, wave the yellow-and-blue flag for a few seconds, and return to safety.
Yuri says: “Now you’ve seen it with your own eyes.”
“I think the whole world needs to know that we will not simply give up our territory,” he adds. “If we don’t show this, everyone will lose confidence and stop supporting Ukraine.”
The battle for Pokrovsk, once a key logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, has been ongoing for nearly 18 months. The city is now largely in ruins.
The question now is how long Ukraine can hold out.
Observers following Russian advances suggest that Ukrainian forces are barely holding the city. Russian troops have been advancing slowly from the south. Ukraine is losing ground, but still maintains control of the northern sector up to the railway line that divides the city in two.
