The eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is bracing for what could become one of the most intense confrontations of the war, as Russia has massed over 110,000 troops near the city, revealed Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday, as per a CNN report.

Pokrovsk is “Hottest Spot” in Ukraine

Describing Pokrovsk as the “hottest spot” along Ukraine’s 1,200-kilometre frontline, Syrskyi said that Russia appears determined to break through Ukrainian defenses, according to the report.

This comes as Russian forces had already been trying to capture Pokrovsk for over a year, staging one grinding offensive after another, and even though they had an advantage in terms of the number of troops and weapons available, Moscow has failed to take over the city, as reported by CNN.

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Vladimir Putin’s Broader Goal

Even Russian President Vladimir Putin had asserted that his goal is to seize all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk his forces partially occupy, according to the report.

While Kyiv and its allies have accused Putin of delaying peace efforts so that his forces can seize more Ukrainian territory, as reported by CNN.

Why Pokrovsk Matters to Russia

Pokrovsk is a strategic target for Moscow because it is has key supply road and railroad that connect it with other military hubs in the area, and along with Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, it forms the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the part of Donetsk region that is still under Kyiv’s control, according to the report.

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The Kursk Diversion That Shifted the Battle

Last year, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitor, had revealed that Ukrainian defensive operations in Pokrovsk had forced Russia to leave its initial plan to take over Pokrovsk in a frontal assault as Ukrainian troops started using drones in their defensive strategy and integrated it with their ground forces, according to the CNN report.

Meanwhile, Russia was not even able to increase the number of troops in the area a lot, as it was trying to contain the surprise incursion of Ukrainian troops into its own territory in the southern Kursk region, as per the report.

Last week, Syrskyi highlighted that “This allowed us to weaken the enemy’s pressure on the main fronts and regroup our troops. And the enemy’s capture of Pokrovsk, announced back in September 2024, has not yet taken place, thanks in part to our Kursk operation,” as quoted by CNN.

What Russia Wants: Symbolism Over Strategy

Then on Friday, Syrskyi revealed that Russia continued to try to break through to the administrative border of the Donetsk region, and he said, “They want to do this not only to achieve some operational results, but primarily for demonstrative purposes. To achieve a psychological effect: to put the infamous ‘foot of the Russian soldier’ there, plant a flag and trumpet another pseudo-‘victory,’” as quoted by CNN.

FAQs

How many Russian troops are near Pokrovsk?
Over 110,000 troops have been positioned near the city, making it one of Russia’s largest concentrations in the region.

What does Russia want to prove with Pokrovsk?
Syrskyi believes it's more about symbolism, planting a flag and calling it a victory, than genuine strategic control.