Why All Eyes Are on Ukraine's Pokrovsk

Russian forces have been gunning for the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk for a year as part of their campaign to seize control of the Donbas region, and reports indicate they may be "tightening their grip," as the Guardian puts it. NBC News describes the city's front lines as "increasingly blurred." Though Ukraine's general staff on Wednesday brushed off Russia's claims that its troops have been surrounded and that reinforcements were coming, the Guardian reports Ukrainian military analysts have painted a picture of a degrading situation, with battlefield maps indicating Russian troops may indeed be close to surrounding the city's remaining defenders. Reuters describes Russia's strategy:

• "In a break with the frontal assaults which Russian forces used against other cities, Russia has used pincer movements to almost encircle Ukrainian forces ... while small highly-mobile units and drones disrupted logistics and sowed chaos behind Ukrainian lines. Russia's tactics ... created what Russian military bloggers called a grey zone of ambiguity where neither side had full control, but which was extremely difficult for Ukraine to defend."

Should Russia take Pokrovsk, it would mark the country's "most important territorial gain since it took the eastern city of Avdiivka in early 2024," per NBC News. Though one expert tells NBC it wouldn't be enough to tip the scales in Russia's favor, other experts suggest it could give Russia a powerful bargaining chip at the negotiating table.