Ukraine
4 min read
The Ukrainian ‘wasteland’ that could reshape the entire war
The battle for a shattered Ukrainian city has become the new focal point for the years-long war, which is approaching a horrifying new milestone.
Alex Blair and AFP
As world leaders continue to scramble for a ceasefire, the next critical chapter of the war between Ukraine and Russia is currently being fought.
The scarred ruins of Pokrovsk, a settlement once home to around 60,000 people, sit on a major road and rail hub in the Donetsk region. The area is a vital artery for Ukrainian military supplies and remains an essential piece on the conflict’s increasingly convoluted chessboard.
For Russia, the city offers a strategic springboard toward other key Ukrainian-held strongholds like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
The last few weeks have seen Russian forces intensify their assault, with commanders claiming advances through parts of the industrial zone and railway station.
But Ukraine insists its troops are not encircled, saying they have reinforced defensive lines and continue to resist Russian incursions.
The city has been reduced to rubble after months of relentless shelling. Almost all civilians have fled, and what was once a bustling regional centre has become a ghost town.
It’s been described as a “wasteland” of collapsed buildings and empty streets, with Ukraine recently deploying its special forces to bolster the defences as fighting grows more desperate.
Russian reports speak of “tightening encirclement,” while Ukraine’s General Staff dismisses those claims, saying the front remains contested and fluid.
Despite the intense stream of conflicting messages from both sides, independent observers agree on one thing: that Pokrovsk has become one of the most important and bloody battlegrounds of the year.
The struggle for Pokrovsk could dramatically shape the war’s momentum. If Russia succeeds in taking the city, it would mark its most significant territorial gain since the capture of Avdiivka in early 2024 and could open the path to deeper advances into eastern Ukraine.
For Vladimir Putin, success is vital.
For Ukraine, holding Pokrovsk keeps vital supply routes open and preserves its ability to counter future offensives.
Analysts view the outcome as a possible turning point and a sign of whether the war will continue as a grinding stalemate or tip toward one side’s advantage.
In October alone, Russia reportedly fired more than 270 missiles across Ukraine. It marked the highest number of artillery strikes launched by either side in a single month this year.
Trump’s push for peace
Despite promises from powerbrokers around the globe, diplomatic manoeuvring has offered little relief on the ground.
US President Donald Trump has made repeated calls for both sides to reach a settlement, but nearly a year into his term, peace remains elusive.
In mid-October, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging a ceasefire based on existing front lines and hinting that Ukraine might need to accept territorial losses.
Soon after, he publicly called for both Ukraine and Russia to “stop where they are” and declare victory. That proposal drew both heavy criticism from Kyiv and scepticism from Moscow.
Trump later cancelled a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, fuelling doubts about whether his push for negotiations is serious or symbolic.
Despite his rhetoric about “ending the bloodshed,” fighting has only intensified in the weeks since.
As the rhetoric continues to be repeated across international mastheads, Ukrainian troops are still locked in brutal urban warfare. Commanders in Pokrovsk report thousands of Russian soldiers operating on the city’s outskirts, while Ukraine continues to hold parts of the downtown area.
Journalists who have reached the front describe streets littered with debris, the constant hum of drones, and the thunder of artillery fire. The few remaining civilians live mostly underground, emerging only briefly for water or food.
The cost in lives on both sides is mounting daily.
Meanwhile, Russian state media speaks of “decisive progress,” but Western analysts caution that such claims are often exaggerated. The truth is harder to define, and likely lies somewhere between relentless Russian pressure and stubborn Ukrainian resistance.
So what happens next?
The fate of Pokrovsk may influence more than just the front line.
If Ukraine holds the city, it would deny Russia the symbolic and strategic victory it desperately needs as morale fades.
If Russia takes it, pressure will grow on Kyiv, and on the West, to accept the kind of territorial compromise Trump has been advocating.
February 2026 will mark four years since the initial invasion.
If no ceasefire agreement is met by May, the conflict will have officially lasted longer than World War I.
