Russian forces have broken through Ukrainian defenses in the strategic city of Pokrovsk, with the battle now appearing to enter its final phase. By Monday, Russian troops had fully secured the southern districts of the city, crossed the central railway line that divides Pokrovsk, and entrenched themselves in the northern industrial zone.
In addition to gaining control of much of the city, Russian units have reportedly severed the E-50 highway—the last major route connecting Pokrovsk to the rest of Ukrainian-held territory—effectively encircling the city. The only remaining supply route, a smaller northern road, remains within Ukrainian hands but is under constant threat of Russian drone and artillery fire, rendering large-scale resupply operations nearly impossible.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced the capture of Molodetske, a small town roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Pokrovsk on the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region. Control of Molodetske secures the western flank of Russian troops now fighting in the city and positions Moscow’s forces to potentially push further into central Ukraine.
Military analysts widely view the fall of Pokrovsk as a potential turning point in the nearly four-year-long war. The city’s capture would give Russia maneuver space to strike in multiple directions and open the possibility of flanking Ukrainian forces operating around the Slovyansk and Kramatorsk sectors, potentially causing what some analysts describe as an “operational collapse” for Ukraine’s eastern defenses.
The climax of the battle coincides with a critical diplomatic moment. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks in Budapest. The summit follows reports that Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their contentious White House meeting on Friday that if Kyiv refused to concede Russia’s core demands—including withdrawal from the Donbas—Ukraine would face “destruction.”
On Monday, Trump appeared to reinforce that stance, telling reporters he no longer believed Ukraine could win the war. The reversal marks yet another shift in Washington’s tone and comes just months after Trump declared that Russia was a “paper tiger” and that Kyiv still had a chance to prevail. Whether the upcoming Trump-Putin summit will harden or soften the U.S. position remains uncertain, but with Pokrovsk on the brink of falling, Ukraine’s military and diplomatic options are rapidly narrowing.