Reports cite hundreds of casualties and widespread desertions as Russian forces intensify assaults on Ukraine’s strategic eastern city under pressure.
Russian forces have suffered heavy losses during intensified assaults around the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, according to accounts from within the Russian military and assessments by Western defense analysts, underscoring mounting strain on Moscow’s campaign in the region.
Pokrovsk, a key logistics and transportation hub in eastern Ukraine, has become one of the most contested fronts of the war. The city is widely viewed by military planners as a gateway to the broader Donetsk region, making it a strategic priority for Russian commanders seeking to consolidate control in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials say Russia has concentrated large numbers of troops in the sector in recent months. Western analysts estimate that as many as 155,000 Russian personnel have been deployed in and around the Pokrovsk area as Moscow attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses. Kyiv, for its part, has reinforced the city with additional units, including specialized formations, to slow the advance.
A Russian military medic, speaking in a video circulated on social media and verified by independent analysts, described severe losses during recent assault operations. The medic said troops were sent forward under difficult conditions and encountered strong Ukrainian defenses, resulting in large numbers of casualties within a short period of time. The account could not be independently verified, but it aligns with broader assessments of intense fighting in the area.
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Jack Watling, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, has estimated that Russia is losing more than 20,000 soldiers per month across the wider Pokrovsk sector, reflecting both combat losses and non-combat attrition.
Leaked internal documents reviewed by multiple outlets also point to growing discipline problems within at least one Russian brigade operating near Pokrovsk. The documents indicate that hundreds of personnel were listed as absent without leave in recent weeks, highlighting morale and command challenges as the fighting drags on.
Ukrainian military officials say Russian units continue to rely on repeated frontal assaults despite high losses, while Ukrainian forces focus on defensive tactics designed to slow advances and inflict attrition.
The battle for Pokrovsk has been ongoing for nearly two years and has become emblematic of the broader war in eastern Ukraine, where gains are often measured in small increments at significant cost.
Neither Russia’s Defense Ministry nor Ukrainian officials provided updated casualty figures. Both sides rarely disclose verified loss totals, and independent confirmation remains difficult.
As winter conditions set in and fighting continues, analysts say the struggle for Pokrovsk is likely to remain a critical test of manpower, logistics, and endurance for both armies, with implications extending well beyond the city itself.
