Russia claims capture of key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk; Kyiv dismisses Moscow's 'loud statements'

Russia has claimed to have captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a move that would mark a significant gain for its forces. Ukraine, however, dismissed what it described as Moscow’s “loud statements” aimed at shaping ongoing negotiations over ending the war.

Moscow’s assertion follows months of intense fighting for control of the strategic hub, during which Russian forces have suffered thousands of dead and wounded.

The claim also comes shortly after high-level talks in Florida between US and Ukrainian officials on ending the conflict, and just one day before the US. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is due in Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has not directly addressed the claim, but Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, warned Monday that Russia would make “many attempts to apply pressure on the front line over the next weeks and accompany this with loud statements.” He said such efforts were aimed “exclusively for the Western audience and to raise diplomatic stakes” during renewed talks on how to end the war.

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Earlier Monday, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that “despite the difficult situation” in Pokrovsk and nearby areas, Ukrainian troops “continue to hold back the enemy’s offensive.”

Moscow’s announcement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited frontline troops.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, told Putin during a Sunday visit to a command post that Russian troops had captured Pokrovsk.

Video released by the Kremlin on Monday and geolocated by CNN shows Russian soldiers raising a Russian flag in Pokrovsk’s city centre, an area long under Moscow’s control, as Russian units have gradually advanced from the south.

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Pokrovsk had been a key logistics hub for Ukraine due to its road and rail links, but repeated drone and artillery strikes on the main highway and rail line forced Kyiv to establish alternative supply routes, reducing the city’s strategic value.

During Sunday’s visit, Putin thanked commanders and troops for their “successful actions,” according to Peskov. “I would like to thank you for the results of the operations in Pokrovsk – both you, the entire command and personnel of the group, and, of course, the fighters, our guys who are carrying out these combat missions,” Putin said.

He added that progress in Pokrovsk would “ensure steady progress” toward achieving all of Moscow’s objectives in the war.