Russian forces are poised to finally capture Pokrovsk, a symbolically important victory with a heavy cost

Ukrainian police officers tasked with helping civilians evacuate check an area for residents in the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 21, 2025. Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters

Russian forces appear to be on the brink of finally seizing the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a symbolic victory that President Vladimir Putin has been pursuing for 21 months at an increasingly heavy cost.

Fighting inside the city has intensified in the past few days, after Russian troops successfully infiltrated it. The fall of Pokrovsk – the strategic value of which has already been greatly diminished but would nevertheless represent the biggest win for Moscow since 2023 – now seems almost inevitable, according to those on the ground.

While Kyiv denied Russian claims that Ukrain