Despite the slowdown, Russian forces continue offensive operations, particularly in Donetsk Oblast's Pokrovsk sector, where fighting intensified at the end of March.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine's main tasks are holding defensive lines and stabilizing threats, which have been partially achieved, particularly in the Pokrovsk direction.
"Recently, they (Russian soldiers) have become more active. We have successfully repelled the assaults, we are holding the line, but the enemy is trying to break through our defense line and reach our positions and gain a foothold in some positions daily," said Mykola Koval, the spokesperson of Ukraine's National Guard's Chervona Kalyna brigade.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited front-line troops and held a military command meeting in Kharkiv Oblast on March 22, as Ukraine prepares for a meeting with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 23.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram that Ukraine has observed areas along its eastern border where the Russian army is amassing force. "This speaks to a desire to deliver a strike to our Sumy Oblast," Zelensky wrote.
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg
"I am not saying that Ukrainian forces caught some second, third, or 100th and 500th breath... But Russian troops have indeed begun to show some physical, moral, and material exhaustion," said Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.
Russian troops are actively pushing on the Novopavlivka sector in eastern Donetsk Oblast, trying to break through Ukraine's defense and capture three settlements, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Kotlyne and Pokrovsk are connected by the T 0406 highway, which also leads to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. DONETSK OBLAST – Scanning an array of nine video feeds from a command point in an abandoned summer, mortar battery commander Tymur “Babai” searches for
It could have been a tragic story costing British volunteer Edward Scott his life. As a humanitarian aid worker with the Ukrainian NGO "Baza UA" (the "Base UA" in Ukrainian), 28-year-old Scott has made multiple trips to the front-line areas to evacuate civilian Ukrainians. But the mission on Jan. 30
"The Second Chechen War for the Russians for the entire period — 6,000 dead," military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said. "That is, under Pokrovsk alone in January the Russians have more dead than in the entire Second Chechen War."
Ukraine’s steel producers are now looking abroad to stay alive after the closure of the country's last operating coking coal mine in Pokrovsk last month. Miners were working up until Jan. 13 when the Metinvest Group, the mine’s owner, halted production completely and evacuated employees as Russian troops
Key developments on Feb. 1-2: * Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on high alert during Russian missile attack on Ukraine * Russia’s new naval base raises fears of Georgia’s involvement in Ukraine war, WSJ reports * Massive fire breaks out at Kharkiv warehouse after Russian drone attack * 15,000 Russian
In a post that included a video of combat footage, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the area "remains one of the hottest" on the front.
A Russian drone attack in Pokrovsk struck an evacuation vehicle on Jan. 30, injuring the driver and two passengers. The Kyiv Independent has confirmed that the driver is a British volunteer.
Key developments on Jan. 29: * Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile arsenal, oil pumping station in Tver Oblast, SBU source claims * '4 out of 4' — Russian Lukoil oil refinery struck by multiple Ukrainian drones, military intelligence source claims * Russian assault intensity declines, focuses on Pokrovsk sector, monitoring group reports * Australian POW
Despite suffering heavy losses, Russian forces have reportedly been able to replenish their combat strength.
Russian forces have intensified their assaults near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, deploying small groups in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops, Victor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, said on Jan. 27.
Russian forces are trying to bypass the city from the north and south, but so far without success, a military spokesperson said.
"Changing the commander at a critical moment is a direct threat to the unit's combat capability and undermines the trust of the fighters," the statement read.
In December, Russian troops advanced to within a mile of mine No. 3, raising fears that they could seize it and use its tunnels to outflank Ukraine's positions, according to the NYT.
Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steel producer, has suspended operations at the Pokrovsk coking coal mine in Donetsk Oblast due to worsening security conditions and power outages, the company announced on Jan. 14.
The Pokrovsk coal mine, one of the largest in Eastern Europe, is located 10 km (6 miles) west of Pokrovsk. The mine produces coal for coke production needed in steelmaking, which is Ukraine's second-largest export after agriculture.
According to Filashkin, Russian troops shelled the settlements of Donetsk Oblast 20 times over the past day, killing one person in the village of Hryshyne, not far from Pokrovsk.
Russia keeps on advancing in eastern Donetsk Oblast, taking hold of Kurakhove, which would become the first major town to fall into Russian hands in 2025. Russian troops are continuing to push on the Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove axes, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update.
Small Russian units are attempting to advance around Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, but the town itself is not threatened at the moment, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said on Jan. 6.
BILOZERSKE, Donetsk Oblast — Less than 30 kilometers north of embattled Pokrovsk, a market was in full swing in the town of Bilozerske. Meters away, however, a crowd has gathered in front of a building, nervously awaiting the doors to open. Tensions were visibly mounting as the doors remained closed and
Russian forces continue their assaults employing diverse weaponry and tactics to strike Ukrainian positions, with a concentrated focus on Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
Russian troops are closing in on Pokrovsk from the east and south. After the capture of Shevchenko village just south of the city, Russian forces are less than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from this key logistics hub sitting on the western edge of Donetsk Oblast. "The fighting is extremely
Ukrainian forces are enjoying success in the Kupiansk sector, where two Russian bridgeheads that emerged during the crossing of the Oskil River were destroyed, Estonian intelligence said.
The closure comes amid an increasingly dangerous Russian advance towards Pokrovsk, where Ukraine has lost key positions in recent days.
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