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.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that "non-standard decisions" are needed near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, after the military reported that Russia had destroyed two Ukrainian positions in the area.
Prior to the statement, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited Ukrainian units in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions of the front line.
Four unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were apparently shot and killed by Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast earlier this November, adding to the five previously reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Nov. 28.
Russian forces apparently shot five unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Donetsk Oblast earlier this November, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Nov. 26, launching a war crime investigation.
Key developments on Nov. 18: * Russian missile attack on Odesa hits residential area, kills 10, injures 55 * US aims to 'provoke further escalation' — Kremlin comments on long-range strikes * Scholz's stance on Taurus unchanged despite US permission on long-range strikes * Turkish president to propose freezing Ukraine front line, Bloomberg reports * Zelensky
"A tense sector. It is only thanks to the strength of the soldiers that the east (of Ukraine) is not completely occupied by Russia. The enemy receives an answer every day," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Russian troops shoot six captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the Pokrovsk sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office reported on Nov. 5.
Russia has captured 1,146 square kilometers (442 square miles) in Ukraine since Aug. 6, about a quarter more than in the first seven months of the year, Bloomberg reported.
"Fortifications are being built in Pokrovsk, and we are already entering the city, and certain areas of the city will be blocked, so please leave these areas, not entering or leaving the city," said Serhii Dobriak, head of the Pokrovsk military administration.
