Escalating Battles in Eastern Ukraine as Kyiv Expands Deep Strikes on Russian Infrastructure

After nearly four years of war, the battlefield in eastern Ukraine remains fluid and fiercely contested, with both sides trading gains and losses while the wider geopolitical repercussions continue to unfold.

In eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the city of Pokrovsk has become a focal point of intense combat. Russian forces have committed substantial manpower and resources to trying to seize control of this strategic transport and logistics hub, pushing inside the city and engaging in street-to-street fighting with Ukrainian defenders. Ukrainian commanders report they retain control of parts of the area and have even reclaimed territory around the northern approaches, despite heavy pressure from Russian troops. The situation there remains “difficult and dynamic,” with casualties on both sides and continued assaults as Russia seeks to break Ukrainian defensive lines. Independent analysts note that assessing control in urban combat is complicated amid ongoing infiltration and counterattacks, with neither side fully dominating the city — despite Russian claims of a complete victory.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to strike deep into Russian-held or Russian territory as part of its broader campaign to disrupt Moscow’s war economy and supply chains. In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have reportedly hit a major Russian LPG export terminal at Temryuk in Russia’s Sea of Azov, causing significant fires and halting gas handling operations at the port. Ukrainian authorities and local reports describe the damage as substantial, with blazes burning for days and pumping operations suspended, underlining Kyiv’s emergence of long-range precision strikes on critical Russian energy infrastructure.

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