Zelenskys Urgent Visit to Fortify Troops Defending Critical Pokrovsk Hub

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he had visited troops stationed near the heavily contested city of Pokrovsk, as Ukraine intensifies efforts to safeguard this vital logistics center that Russia has sought to seize for months.

This fortified city, located in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, serves as a crucial supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been a target for Moscow for over a year.

«I met with our soldiers at the command center of the National Guard of Ukraine’s 1st Corps ‘Azov,’ which is currently engaged in defensive operations in the Dobropillia area,» Zelensky shared on social media, referring to a town approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Pokrovsk.

«This is our nation, this is our East, and we are fully committed to preserving it for Ukraine,» he emphasized.

Earlier this week, Kyiv reported that hundreds of Russian troops have infiltrated the logistics hub.

Additionally, other forces are advancing toward its periphery in a pincer movement, as indicated by battlefield maps released by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.

On Tuesday, the Russian military stated that it was «tightening the encirclement around the enemy» in Pokrovsk and claimed to have taken control of several buildings within the city.

Over the weekend, Ukraine deployed special forces to reinforce the city’s defenses.

The capture of Pokrovsk would serve as a significant propaganda victory for the Kremlin, which has dismissed U.S. demands to halt its nearly four-year-long invasion and continues its ground offensive.

Before the war, the city had a population of 60,000 but is now largely abandoned and ravaged by conflict.

Originally established by far-right extremists, the Azov Corps has since achieved a heroic status in Ukraine, particularly noted for its resistance during the Mariupol siege in 2022. It now recruits individuals from beyond just ultranationalist circles.