Russian forces appear to have seized the Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Pokrovsk has been one of the hottest frontline areas in Ukraine in recent months. Russian forces committed substantial manpower and equipment to the town, including sustained artillery strikes and repeated ground assaults, reflecting its perceived strategic value as a logistics and transportation hub.
Analysts report that Ukrainian forces have not been observed operating in the town since late January 2026, suggesting that Russian troops completed the capture in recent weeks.
Russia hasn't leveraged the capture for broader gains
ISW said Russian forces have not leveraged the seizure to make further operationally significant advances. The assessment indicates that the full capture of Pokrovsk does not signal that Russian forces will imminently take the rest of Donetsk Oblast.
The battle for Pokrovsk, a town with a pre-war population of around 60,000, began nearly two years ago. Russian forces started pushing toward the town in February 2024 after taking Avdiivka, launching repeated frontal assaults from March 2024.
Most of Pokrovsk was not seized until December 2025, with Russian forces continuing to fight for nearby Myrnohrad for another month. Russian officials had claimed the capture of Pokrovsk was a critical step toward seizing the rest of Donetsk Oblast.
Fortress Belt and nearby settlements remain beyond Russia's reach
Despite Russian claims, ISW noted that Russian advances beyond Pokrovsk have been limited. The town has not opened major avenues for further offensive operations, and nearby settlements such as Hryshyne remain under Ukrainian control.
Analysts assess that Russia’s slow and costly push does not create immediate conditions for taking Ukraine’s heavily fortified northern positions in Donetsk Oblast, known as the Fortress Belt.
The assessment underscores that while Pokrovsk was operationally significant as a logistics hub, the town’s capture does not necessarily translate into broader strategic gains for Russia in eastern Ukraine.
