"We are resisting at Pokrovsk. A complex operation to destroy and repel enemy forces is underway," Sîrski posted on Facebook, also confirming that he had returned to the front to assess the situation with commanders on the eastern front, Reuters reports.

In a video released on Saturday, the army chief appears alongside the head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, analyzing combat maps.

Ukrainian media had previously reported that Budanov was in the region to personally oversee the special forces operation. The deployment of special forces suggests that the Kiev authorities are determined to retain control of the city.

Pokrovsk, key target in eastern Ukraine

Russia has been trying to capture the city of Pokrovsk, nicknamed the"gateway to Donetsk", since mid-2024, as part of its campaign to take full control of the Donetsk region. The city, which had 70,000 inhabitants before the war, has been virtually completely destroyed and depopulated.

The capture of Pokrovsk would represent Russia's most significant territorial gain inside Ukraine since the conquest of the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2024, after one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

Russian officials say that gaining control of Pokrovsk and the northeastern city of Kostiantynivka would allow Moscow's troops to advance north toward the two major cities still under Ukrainian control in Donetsk, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

The geopolitical stakes

Kiev believes that the loss of Pokrovsk would help Moscow convince the United States that its military offensive is successful and therefore that the West should accept its demands.

Washington has become increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin's failure to advance peace negotiations, culminating in President Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies and cancel plans for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky said he was open to Trump's proposal for a ceasefire that would freeze the conflict on the current front lines.

Putin refuses, however, insisting on his pre-invasion demands, which Kiev considers a de facto capitulation of Ukraine.