WSJ: Russian forces in Ukraine near first major conquest in more than two years

Russian troops have advanced deep into the southeastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, raising the prospect of Moscow’s biggest territorial gain in more than two years of war.

The city, once a mining hub of around 60,000 people, has been transformed into a battlefield of devastating destruction, with Russian infantry pushing through tree lines and villages while Ukrainian forces use explosive drones and other tactics to slow the advance, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his generals now face a difficult decision: how long to continue defending the city amid mounting casualties.

“They don’t have a result they can ‘sell’ to the Americans,” Zelenskyy told reporters last week, underlining the political stakes for Kyiv as Moscow seeks to demonstrate the inevitability of its victory. Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops inside the city and dominate the skies with drones, according to Ukrainian soldiers.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on November 5 that its troops were advancing north through Pokrovsk, clearing out Ukrainian units it claimed were cut off. Ukrainian officials deny that their troops are isolated.

While Russia retains a manpower advantage, signs of strain in its war machine are emerging. Economic growth has slowed, and recruitment incentives in several Russian regions have been reduced this year.

Meanwhile, Ukraine faces severe manpower shortages, with a population a fourth the size of Russia’s, and has been criticised for delaying strategic withdrawals, putting soldiers at risk. An officer from Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Brigade, engaged in the fighting, said, “I hope the tough decisions will be made on time. Without sacrificing people for territory.”

Casualties are high on both sides. Ukrainian units report killing 50 to 100 Russian troops daily, leaving additional wounded, with some claiming a casualty ratio as high as 10-to-one in Ukraine’s favour. 

But inside Pokrovsk, conditions are bleak: streets are empty except for stray dogs, burned-out vehicles litter the outskirts, and Russian glide bombs strike almost hourly. Ukrainian reconnaissance units are severely understaffed; one commander noted, “Fighting gets harder over time. There’s more and more technology aimed at killing people.”

Russia’s immediate goal is to secure all of Donetsk province, though Ukraine still holds several northern cities in the region. The loss of Pokrovsk would also jeopardise nearby Myrnohrad. For now, Ukrainian forces continue to resist, using drones to strike Russian units outside the city, limiting the need for direct urban combat.

Zelenskyy emphasised the importance of soldier safety: “One must protect the soldier. This is the most important thing.” As fighting grinds on, the battle for Pokrovsk has become as much about depleting each side’s resources as it is about territory. Both Moscow and Kyiv face the same grim question: who will bleed out first in a war that is entering its fifth year?

By Aghakazim Guliyev