The Russian army continues its offensive in Donbas and is two kilometers from Pokrovsk, one of the strategically important cities in the region. Ukrainian fighters on social networks confirm that Russian troops have already reached the outskirts of the city, although there have been no official statements from Kyiv about the critical situation.

One of the Ukrainian soldiers wrote that "the first houses in the south of Pokrovsk are less than two kilometers from the Russian positions." According to Russian sources, in particular blogger Yuri Podolyaka, the troops are also near the Krasnoarmeyskaya-Zapadnaya No. 1 mine, which is a key facility in the metallurgical industry. Podolyaka recalled that the mine provides up to half of Ukraine's needs for coking coal.

According to the Ukrainian Steel Association, the loss of this mine will entail losses amounting to billions of dollars. In 2023, more than 90% of Ukraine's coking coal needs were covered by mining at this site, which underlines its importance.

To stabilize the situation and prevent further advancement of the Russian army, Ukraine has redeployed two battalions to the Pokrovsk area. The reinforcement is taking place near the village of Shevchenko, where the intensity of fighting has increased in recent days. Ukrainian military sources report that the occupation of the village of Shevchenko two days earlier increased the risk of encirclement of the city, forcing Kyiv to take emergency measures to strengthen its defenses.

The tactics of Russian troops in the Pokrovsk direction have changed: now they are trying not to attack the city directly, but to encircle it, cutting off supply routes. This maneuver could complicate the defense of the city and pose a threat to holding key infrastructure facilities, including the mine and metallurgical plants.

Experts note that the fall of Pokrovsk could be an important strategic achievement for Russian troops, opening the way for a further offensive to the west of the DPR. At the same time, the losses that the Ukrainian economy would suffer in the event of the loss of Pokrovsk and its mine would significantly weaken the country's industrial potential.