Russia masses 110,000 Troops near strategic Ukrainian city for new invasion- Kyiv says

 Russia has amassed about 110,000 troops near Pokrovsk as it intensifies efforts to capture the strategic eastern Ukrainian city, Ukraine’s military chief said Friday, June 27.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi described the area around Pokrovsk as the “hottest spot” along the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) front line in eastern Ukraine. Russian forces have been trying to seize the city for nearly a year, launching repeated offensives but failing to break through despite their superiority in troop numbers and weaponry.

Pokrovsk is a key objective for Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear his goal of seizing all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are only partially under Russian control.

Though not a major city, Pokrovsk sits on vital supply roads and rail lines linking it with other Ukrainian military hubs such as Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk. Together, they form the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region.

 

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Pokrovsk had around 60,000 residents. Most have since fled. Ukraine’s last operating coking coal mine, located in Pokrovsk, kept some workers in the area until it shut down earlier this year, prompting further departures.

 

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, reported that Ukrainian defensive tactics—including integrating drone operations with ground forces—forced Russia to abandon plans for a direct assault on Pokrovsk. Russia has instead tried to encircle the city from the south and northeast.

 

Meanwhile, Moscow has struggled to increase troop levels near Pokrovsk, partly due to needing forces to counter a surprise Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Syrskyi said this operation drew away nearly 63,000 Russian troops and about 7,000 North Korean troops, easing pressure on Pokrovsk.

 

“This allowed us to regroup and weaken the enemy’s push on key fronts,” Syrskyi noted. “Their announced capture of Pokrovsk back in September 2024 still hasn’t happened, in part thanks to our actions in Kursk.”

 

Recent ISW assessments indicate Russian forces continue attacking Ukrainian positions near Pokrovsk in small fireteams, sometimes moving on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and buggies.

 

Syrskyi said on Friday that Russia’s primary goal is symbolic—reaching the administrative border of Donetsk to claim another so-called “victory.”

 

“They want to do this not only for operational gains, but also for psychological impact—so they can plant a flag and trumpet another false triumph,” he said.