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Ukraine repels 72 Russian assaults on strategic Donetsk Oblast transport hub

As Moscow concentrates forces to seize a vital logistical crossroads, Ukrainian defenders inflict substantial casualties on Russian assault groups while maintaining control of crucial supply lines supporting operations across eastern Ukraine.

byOlena Mukhina

29/03/2025

3 minute read

A Ukrainian soldier during a training. Source: The 109th Battalion of the Edelweiss 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade

Ukraine repels 72 Russian assaults on strategic Donetsk Oblast transport hub

Russian forces continue to mount intense assaults against Ukrainian defenders on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast, suffering new losses, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Pokrovsk is positioned at the intersection of key roads and railways, facilitating the supply of troops across a broad frontline from Vuhledar to northern Donetsk. Its capture would severely impact Ukraine’s military operations. Kyiv forces continue to defend the area, recognizing its importance for maintaining control over Donbas and preventing further Russian advances into neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Over the past 24 hours, 72 combat engagements have taken place on the Pokrovsk front, with nine still ongoing.

Ukraine’s General Staff reports the destruction of a Russian tank, eight vehicles, seven motorcycles, two infantry fighting vehicles, an electronic warfare system, a self-propelled artillery unit, a gun, a mortar, and two command posts.

Additionally, two vehicles, three motorcycles, two guns, and a tank sustained significant damage.

Preliminary estimates indicate that Ukrainian forces took out approximately 364 Russian soldiers in the Pokrovsk sector, with 221 confirmed as irrecoverable losses.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia planned new offensives targeting Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

The Russian attacks and airstrikes have intensified along the border in Sumy Oblast recently as Russian forces were attempting to breach Ukrainian defenses and disrupt supply routes to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Russian Kursk Oblast.

The Ukrainian president emphasized that Russia seeks to continue the war. He called on partner countries to maintain sanctions against Russia and develop a collective plan for deploying forces.

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