Russia continues advancing in Ukraine, with Russian troops nearing the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk. Capturing Pokrovsk would mark Russia’s most notable military gain since the onset of trench warfare in eastern Ukraine, potentially enabling further advances toward Kramatorsk, an industrial hub with military production capabilities.

Russia has occupied around 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since February, and the rate of advance is accelerating. The looming military victory makes it increasingly unlikely that Russia would agree to a settlement. Meanwhile, Western optimism about Ukraine’s chances has waned, with financial and military support dwindling.