FATE OF TWO CITIES MAY SIGNAL COLLAPSE OF FRONTLINE
Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka | August 2025
Two cities located on the frontline are currently facing immense pressure from an unremitting Russian advance. From west to east, these frontline cities are Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. Both cities are located within the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
Pokrovsk is a metallurgical and mining hub and remains a critical junction for road transport. Kostyantynivka forms the southern tip of a significant Ukrainian defensive formation, running northward through Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. Each city is presently under the control of Ukraine and both function as supply bases for its troops operating in and around these cities.
Russian troops have reached the outskirts of Pokrovsk, which is constrained along both southern and eastern axes and is now facing containment to the north (04-08-2025). For several months now, Russian troops have cultivated a bulge between Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. This large northward push has cut the highway that formerly linked both cities. Since crossing the highway, the Russians now control a significant amount of operational space to the north-east of Pokrovsk.
Moreover, a pivot to the west is now in play. After travelling northward along the right flank of Pokrovsk and its sister city of Mirnograd, Russian troops have turned to the west and are now approaching the northbound highway that runs directly into Pokrovsk. Should the Russians successfully complete this maneuver, then only one major road into and out of Pokrovsk will remain under full Ukrainian control.
Crude description of the Russian “bulge” | Image (base layer) | Google Maps
Stubborn Ukrainian resistance around Chasov Yar and within the smaller villages situated north of Toretsk has so far shielded Kostyantynivka from a direct Russian ground assault. However, Chasov Yar has recently come under Russian control (31-07-2025) and Russian troops are incrementally absorbing those same villages. And the Russian bulge now controls the highway to the west. If this battlefield progress continues, the triple thrusts emanating from the western, eastern and southern axes of the DPR city may soon coalesce upon the city limits.
Should both cities come under Russian administration, which looks increasingly likely to occur, then the frontlines will shift dramatically. Kramatorsk, situated north of Kostyantynivka, will swiftly come under enormous pressure from the direction of the newly captured city. Also, it remains possible that the bulge currently expanding to the north of Pokrovsk may pivot to the east and begin to apply pressure to the western flank of Kramatorsk. The villages of Dobropillya and Oleksandrivka are critical here.
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