Ukrainian forces pressed forward with a counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine on Friday, targeting areas around the cities of Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported that Russian troops had suffered heavy losses, with Ukrainian forces capturing more prisoners each day.
In his nightly address, Zelenskiy emphasized that Russia’s long-term plan to seize Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, had been disrupted. He said Ukrainian troops were destroying Russian formations and preventing a full-scale offensive. Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that forces had advanced three to seven kilometers through Russian defenses.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly regained seven settlements and 160 square kilometers around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia, with another nine settlements cleared of enemy forces. Despite ongoing Russian assaults, Zelenskiy confirmed that Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions around Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its troops captured Muravka in Donetsk and Novoivanivka in Zaporizhzhia. Russian-installed officials also told TASS that Moscow’s forces had gained control over roads and logistics routes near Pokrovsk, though Ukraine’s general staff said Russian attacks in the area were repelled.
The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of fierce fighting as Moscow continues its push to seize the territory before any potential peace talks. With Ukraine consolidating recent gains and Russia slowly advancing elsewhere, the frontline battle highlights the strategic importance of Pokrovsk and surrounding areas.
Both sides continue to release conflicting battlefield reports, and independent verification remains limited. However, the intensified clashes signal that control of eastern Ukraine remains a decisive factor in the war’s trajectory.