Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, visited the contested city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Saturday as Russian forces appeared to be on the verge of capturing the city after weeks of heavy fighting.
According to an announcement from Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Gerasimov arrived by helicopter at forward command posts near the city, where he met with local commanders to assess the battlefield situation, review operational progress, and inspect ongoing combat operations. Russian state media released video footage of the visit, underscoring Moscow’s confidence in the near completion of its offensive.
As of Saturday, Russian forces were reported to control over 70% of Pokrovsk, having crossed the central railway line that divides the city. Russian military channels have claimed that Ukrainian troops have been given until Monday to withdraw, suggesting that a final assault to secure the remaining districts could be imminent.
By the end of the week, Russian units reportedly captured the nearby town of Rodynske to the north, cutting the last major road into Pokrovsk. Ukrainian troops inside the city are now believed to be withdrawing through open fields in small groups, abandoning most vehicles and heavy equipment. Meanwhile, Pokrovsk’s adjoining twin city, Myrnohrad, is also under attack, with Russian forces claiming to have severed all supply and reinforcement routes leading into the area.
The battle for Pokrovsk has become one of the most strategically significant engagements of the nearly four-year war in the Donbas. Once considered safely behind Ukrainian lines, Pokrovsk served as a major logistics and command hub for the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine. Its capture would give Russian forces the operational freedom to push north and west, potentially isolating Ukrainian troops across the broader Donbas and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Although the fighting around the city has intensified for several weeks, Western outlets have only recently begun acknowledging the likely fall of Pokrovsk—an outcome that may explain President Volodymyr Zelensky’s growing urgency in requesting additional weapon shipments from Western allies.