While actions are taking place along the whole Ukraine front, about a third of the total are seen at the hotspot of Pokrovsk, a transport hub which Russia has long coveted.
Consequently, Russia has directed reinforcements there from other sectors of the front, Ivask told "Ukraina stuudio."

"According to Ukrainian information, they have a very large superiority there also in drones, which makes redeployment, movement, supply and maneuvering of forces difficult. This is clear pressure that the Russian forces have been placing on the Ukrainian forces over a lengthy period of time, with the aim of capturing Pokrovsk; to bring it under their control. But since the Ukrainians have put up very stubborn resistance there, they have not achieved any breakthrough or definitive success there," Ivask said.

The 20-30-kilometer drone grayzone makes movement difficult inside that area, even as Russian forces do not control the area 100 percent.

"A lot depends on the weather movement in that area; on the light, whether it is night or day, on all smaller factors. Despite drones being dominant, controlling everything that moves and providing very good tactical information, they are not one 100 percent either. For sure this has brought a major change to the dynamics of the battles, but there are also some very major shortcomings with this drone warfare," Ivask said.

The claim that Ukrainian forces have been "encircled" in the area is very difficult to verify, though one could err towards saying this is not the case, Ivask noted.

"The situation is highly dynamic. There can be a situation where there is a battle over one building, taking it is viable, yet the next morning it gets retaken. To say now that they (ie. Russia – ed.) have achieved some success, some control, certainly cannot be stated. I think that over this lengthy time the Ukrainians have instead thoroughly entrenched and prepared themselves. To state exactly how the situation is is very hard," he said.

Ukraine deployed special forces to the area due to tactics used by Russian forces, Ivask went on, including deception techniques in dressing in civilian clothing.

"If we look at what the Russian army has done with its tactical actions, a tendency has arisen of infiltration in civilian clothing in smaller groups. Regular forces, which must wage conventional battles, are not suitable against groups like that. This makes necessary bringing in special operatives whose skills and specialty are precisely the destruction, capture, apprehension of such sabotage groups, infiltrated groups and also some unfortunate ones who somehow manage to slip through," Ivask went on.

There have been growing reports of Russian advances around Pokrovsk, the BBC reported, with Ukrainian forces' commander Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi stating Ukrainian troops were fending off a "multi-thousand enemy" force, though rejecting Russian claims they were encircled.

Pokrovsk is a key transport and supply hub whose capture could unlock Russian efforts to seize the rest of the region, and Russia has been trying to capture the town since July 2024.

Meanwhile Washington has grown increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin's slow pace on a peace deal in Ukraine, and President Donald Trump has now placed sanctions on the two largest Russian oil producers and canceled a planned summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow demands Kyiv cede the Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk oblasts, together known as Donbas, including those areas which it does not yet control.

An interactive map updated in real time of the Ukraine fronts is here.

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