Ukraine retook 5 times more territory than it lost near Pokrovsk in August, Syrskyi says
Ukrainian forces lost 5 square kilometers (2 square miles) but regained control of 26 square kilometers (10 square miles) in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast in August, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sept. 7.
Throughout the summer campaign, Russian forces prioritized operations around Pokrovsk, deploying sabotage and reconnaissance units that briefly entered the city but were ultimately repelled.
According to Syrskyi, a similar ratio of lost and regained territory was observed near the town of Dobropillia, where Russian forces made a short-lived but dramatic advance in early August through the use of infiltration tactics.
In the Dobropillia sector, Russia took 13.5 square kilometers (5 square miles) but lost 25.5 square kilometers (10 square miles), the chief commander said.
Overall, Ukrainian forces liberated 58 square kilometers (22 square miles) of its territory and several settlements over the past month, he added.
"The Pokrovsk axis remains one of the most challenging. Over the past week, our units have repelled approximately 350 (Russian) attacks," Syrskyi said.
"This is where Russian forces have concentrated their main efforts, assembling their largest offensive grouping in an attempt to break through our defenses," Syrskyi added.
The news reflects an increased frequency of counterattacking operations on the Ukrainian side, which has been in a strategic defensive posture along the front line in eastern Ukraine for almost two years.
These counterattacks are commonly led by units of Ukraine's Assault Forces, a new branch of the Armed Forces established by Syrskyi on Aug. 18.
In the first days of September, Ukraine's 425th Assault Regiment, better known as Skala, reported to have cleared two villages around Pokrovsk of Russian forces: Novoekonomichne and Udachne.
Russia has continued to intensify its ground offensives in eastern Ukraine, concentrating the bulk of its forces in the Pokrovsk sector in an effort to seize the key logistics hub.
This effort incurred significant losses to Russia, including 297,350 soldiers killed and injured since 2025, including 28,790 casualties in August alone, Syrskyi said.
Ukraine has also ramped up its aerial strikes, with Ukrainian drones hitting 67,000 targets in the past month, including 60 strategic industrial and military facilities struck as part of the "Deep Strike" operation, according to the commander.
With no ceasefire in sight, Russia's advances in the region help strengthen Moscow's hand in possible peace negotiations as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a deal to end the war.
The Kremlin's plan for a peace agreement reportedly involves Ukraine withdrawing all its forces from Donetsk Oblast, ceding the entire region to Russia in exchange for frozen battle lines on the other sectors of the front.
