Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected the idea of withdrawing Ukrainian forces from the twin cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, despite mounting evidence that Russian troops have nearly encircled the area.
When asked by a reporter whether he would order a withdrawal to preserve personnel, Zelensky responded, “There is no encirclement there today. Our forces are in control of the situation.” He described conditions as “difficult but controlled,” continuing to downplay reports that Ukrainian troops are surrounded — reports that Russian military sources and video evidence increasingly support.
On Thursday, Zelensky dismissed an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to enact a temporary ceasefire in Pokrovsk to allow foreign journalists into the city to verify the situation. The move has been seen as a political trap: permitting access could undermine Zelensky’s narrative, while refusal makes it appear that Kiev is concealing the true extent of Ukrainian losses.
Russian forces are believed to control roughly 70% of Pokrovsk, with verified footage showing troops at the northern city limits and the Russian flag flying over the city’s entrance monument in the northwest. Fighting has been ongoing since August, but both Kiev and Western media only recently began acknowledging the severity of the situation.
Initially, Ukrainian officials characterized the battle as involving “a few hundred Russian infiltrators,” but the scale of fighting has since escalated dramatically. Zelensky admitted earlier this week that the situation was “tense,” after Western outlets began reporting on significant Russian advances.
Should Pokrovsk fall, it would mark a major strategic breakthrough for Moscow, giving Russian forces the ability to advance westward toward Dnipro or north toward Sloviansk — moves that could threaten Ukraine’s entire defensive network in Donbas and Zaporizhzhia.