Russian forces are pushing toward Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast and trying to cut its road link with nearby Pokrovsk, the 7th Air Assault Corps said on Sunday. The unit warned that Russian movements indicate an attempt to encircle the city by advancing toward the villages of Rivne and Svitle.
The push on Myrnohrad is unfolding next to Pokrovsk, where heavy frontline fighting has continued for months. Russian forces have attempted to enter Pokrovsk several times but have not held positions inside the city. The clashes near Myrnohrad now add pressure to this broader frontline zone.
Ukrainian assault units say they are holding back Russian troops around Krasnyi Lyman. The Corps said the enemy is “pressuring Myrnohrad” and attempting to sever the land route to Pokrovsk.
Small infantry groups infiltrate around the clock, guided by drones
It added that Russian infantry is attacking the northern part of the city in small groups, moving around the clock and using drones to guide their approach.
Commanders say Ukrainian positions in the city are being reinforced to secure the southern edge, where Russia is trying to build up manpower for another push. Fighting in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area has been intense for months as Russian troops try to press deeper into Ukraine’s defensive lines.
Captured Russian soldiers starved for days in basement before assault
On the northeastern side of Myrnohrad, the 38th Marine Brigade captured four Russian soldiers who were part of an attempted assault. Three of them were former prisoners mobilized through military contracts.
The captives told Ukrainian troops they had spent four days in a basement in a nearby settlement before the attack, without proper food or water.
Ukrainian forces say the prisoners were given necessary care under international humanitarian law.
HUR and Alpha special forces join defense as pressure mounts
The report from the 7th Corps aligns with other accounts from the area. Ukrainian special forces units, including HUR detachments and SBU’s Alpha group, have been active around Pokrovsk in recent weeks as fighting surged.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the wider Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad zone remains under pressure from a large Russian grouping that is trying to move into residential districts and disrupt supply routes.
Syrskyi said there is no encirclement or blockade of the cities and that Ukrainian troops are carrying out a set of actions to push Russian forces back. Some soldiers, however, have questioned whether the city can be fully cleared given the size of the Russian assault groups.
