Heavy fighting continues in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad sector, which Ukrainian and Western sources describe as one of the most intense parts of the front. According to BILD, Russian forces pushed into Pokrovsk itself, while Ukrainian military sources interviewed by the paper described the situation as extremely difficult. One source from the Ukrainian army said Kyiv had lost about 80 percent of the city and that units in Myrnohrad were in an even more dangerous position.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say it took Russian forces 21 months and roughly 39 kilometers of advance to move from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk. In their assessment, by the summer of 2025 Ukraine had effectively lost the ability to use Pokrovsk as a full logistics hub. They cite longer-range FPV drones, thermobaric munitions and drones waiting along roads as key factors.
“So far this is operational encirclement: supply routes are under fire control, but there is still no physical full ring,” military expert David Gendelman told Novaya-Europe.
Ukrainian volunteer and former deputy defense minister Vitaliy Deynega urged a rapid decision on withdrawing troops from Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in order to avoid losing some of Ukraine’s most battle-ready units and to prevent a broader collapse of the front.
Experts differ in their conclusions. Oleksandr Kovalenko argues there is no immediate threat of full encirclement of Pokrovsk, although Russian small groups are operating inside the city and logistics between Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad remain vulnerable. According to Roman Svitan, the corridor linking the agglomeration to Ukrainian-held territory is still about 6-7 kilometers wide, which would be enough for a withdrawal if needed.
Analysts also disagree on the significance of a military intelligence helicopter landing in northwestern Pokrovsk. Some see it as a limited effort to support supply lines, while others describe it mainly as an information move with no effect on the wider battlefield. Their overall conclusion is similar: the situation for Ukraine remains grave, and the coming days may show whether the goal is to stabilize the defense or prepare a pullback.