Ukraine’s key logistic hub of Pokrovsk has fallen to the Armed Forces of Russia (AFR) after more than a year of fighting, marking a major strategic defeat for Kyiv.

Russian forces have entered the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, one of the fiercest flashpoints along the front line, and are now carrying out search and destroy operations, but have not yet dug in, Anna Fratsyvir of The Kyiv Independent reports.

If Russia consolidates its control of the city it would be a major strategic victory for the AFR and heighten concerns about Kyiv’s ability to hold strategic ground in Donetsk Oblast in the face of the growing momentum of Russia’s summer offensive.

The Ukrainian battlefield monitoring channel DeepState and frontline troops cited by The Kyiv Independent report that Russian troops breached the city from the direction of Zvirove in recent days, exploiting weakened infantry positions and what was described as “inaccurate situational reporting.” The incursion prompted an emergency Ukrainian military response to contain the breach and prevent “the situation from spiralling into disaster,” DeepState said.

The breach of the city's borders by the AFR comes only days after a frontline report by The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell said the city was on the verge of being overrun by Russian troops.

The one time industrial city lies 67km northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk and was described by Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi as “the hottest spot along the entire 1,200-kilometre front line.”

While it remains unclear whether Russian troops and how well established Russian positions are within the city limits the fact that they have entered the city after a year of trying bodes badly for Kyiv.

An Ukrainian drone unit operating in the area told The Kyiv Independent that AFR forces were in the city and that Ukrainian troops were trying to organise a defence. Reports posted on social media suggest that intense street fighting is underway.

“Russian units attempted to entrench themselves and gain control over Defenders of Ukraine street,” DeepState said. “Some of them have been killed, others are still being hunted. The search and destruction of these groups is still ongoing.”

Ukraine’s military has yet to issue an official update on the situation in Pokrovsk following the latest incursion.

The battle for control of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region has been raging for more than a year. A large coalmining town, the city also lies at the nexus of a major rail and road network that are crucial for supplying Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) all along the eastern front with Russia’s forces.

The fight intensified significantly in early 2024 as the AFR targeted the city as strategically important and threw huge resources at it. Over 1,000 Russian soldiers have died a day, according to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry reports, although other analysts have put the death toll at a third of that.

Russian forces launched their attack on Pokrovsk as part of a broader offensive in Donetsk Oblast in spring 2024, following strategic gains around Avdiivka and Bakhmut, both of which were similarly won after protected campaigns and the great loss of life.

Similar to today, the fall of Avdiivka in February last year came after the US ran out of money for Ukraine and left the skies open to a massive Russian barrage that made the capture of the city easier. Since taking office in January US President Donald Trump has likewise cut Ukraine off from new funding and weapons supplies. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a devastating missile barrage in May and the missile war has only intensified since then to record levels.

The fighting for Pokrovsk has been intense, including artillery bombardment, drone strikes, and trench warfare. It lies at a critical junction for the supply and reinforcement of Ukrainian positions along the entire eastern front.

Pokrovsk sits on a major railway line and an interconnected road network that links frontline positions with rear logistics bases in Dnipropetrovsk and central Ukraine. This makes it one of the few functioning railheads still within range to supply Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk direction.

In recent months Pokrovsk has been used by Ukrainian forces to rotate units, repair equipment, and replenish supplies, particularly ammunition and fuel. It acts as a buffer between active front-line sectors and deeper rear areas.It also provides access to key logistics corridors running northward toward Dobropillia and Pavlohrad, and westward toward Dnipro, a major logistics and command centre for Ukraine’s eastern military operations.

If the AFR consolidate control of Pokrovsk, it would hamper Kyiv’s ability to supply forces in Donetsk and eastern Zaporizhzhia as well as complicate troop movements throughout eastern Ukraine.

Pokrovsk is also the last major settlement in Eastern Ukraine before reaching the Dnipro river that cuts the country in half. In theory Russian forces could rapidly advance up to the banks of the Dnipro thanks to the lack of defensive positions for the AFU to occupy.