Russian forces may establish full control over Pokrovsk within the next few days or, at most, two weeks, according to an officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who spoke with a correspondent from the French newspaper Le Monde on condition of anonymity.

The officer remarked that the Ukrainian grouping defending the city might have been able to hold out for months if not for what he described as serious errors in command planning and strategy.

He explained that regular supplies had been disrupted for weeks and that Pokrovsk had been completely cut off for several days. No equipment or transport, he said, could reach the city. The officer emphasized that, given its size, numerous high-rise buildings, and factories with thick concrete walls, Pokrovsk could have been defended far longer — calling it «a fortress» under other circumstances.

Another Le Monde source, a Ukrainian Marine officer directly involved in the fighting, confirmed that the situation in the city is extremely difficult. He reported that Russian forces managed to advance into all districts of Pokrovsk within just a few days. According to him, Russian troops currently outnumber Ukrainian forces in the city by roughly three to one, both in manpower and in the number of drones deployed.

Earlier reports indicated that Ukraine’s Armed Forces have already lost about 6,500 soldiers in the battles for Pokrovsk.