Russians enter embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk

The Russian soldiers have established themselves and are engaged in heavy fighting with the Ukrainian units. Both sides are also using combat drones. According to the Ukrainian generals, the fighting is "characterized by high dynamics and intensity." Meanwhile, the Russian army is attempting to break through the Ukrainian defense lines with battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Meanwhile, the General Staff refuted Russian claims that Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk were completely encircled. Rather, it claimed that large areas around the city had been recaptured. This stabilized the situation in that sector and along the access roads to Pokrovsk.

Selenskyj reports heavy fighting around Pokrovsk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported heavy fighting around Pokrovsk. He added that the deployment of the Ukrainian Bukovina Brigade in the neighboring town of Myrnohrad was particularly helpful. "Right there, opposite Pokrovsk, the Russians have concentrated their main attack force—and that's a significant number of occupation troops," Zelenskyy said in his evening video address.

"Of course, this is leading to a difficult situation in Pokrovsk and all neighboring regions," Zelenskyy continued. "There is heavy fighting in the city, along the access roads to the city." Supply is also difficult. Nevertheless, the fight against the occupiers continues: "We must continue to inflict as many losses on the Russians as possible."

Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad have been contested for months and threatened with encirclement. Ukraine has been resisting a Russian invasion for more than three and a half years.

At least three dead after Russian attacks in Kyiv

At least three people were killed and 29 injured in a Russian drone attack on Kyiv overnight into Sunday. Seven children were among the injured, the civil protection agency reported on Telegram. According to the Kyiv military administration, Ukrainian air defense was deployed but was unable to prevent all of the damage.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported on the attacks on Telegram. Two multi-story residential buildings in the northeast of the city were hit by falling drone debris, and fires broke out in some apartments. The head of the Ukrainian capital's military administration warned on Sunday of "several" attacking Russian drones and called on people to stay in their shelters.

According to Klitschko, Kyiv had been attacked with ballistic missiles the night before, killing at least two people. In the eastern Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, at least two people were also killed by Russian drone and missile attacks on Saturday night.

Drones injure 16 people in Belgorod, western Russia

In the western Russian region of Belgorod, 16 people were injured by Ukrainian drone strikes, according to authorities. Ukrainian armed forces shelled the village of Maslova Pristan, injuring ten civilians, including two minors, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel. Two private homes were severely damaged by the explosives.

A little later, he reported six more victims elsewhere. According to Gladkov, three people were injured in the regional capital of Belgorod, including a military personnel. In the village of Dorogozhsk in the Grayvoron district, bordering Ukraine, three more people were injured, including a 14-year-old.

Russian air defenses shot down at least six Ukrainian drones heading for Moscow that evening. "Another attack on Moscow repelled," commented Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, according to the state news agency Tass. The information cannot be verified.

Ten injured in Russian drone attack near Sumy

Meanwhile, at least ten people were injured in a Russian airstrike against a minibus in eastern Ukraine. The vehicle was hit by a combat drone near the city of Sumy. Ten passengers, including two children, were injured in the explosion, some seriously, regional military administrator Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram. Two of the injured are in critical condition.

Ukrainian combat drones caused significant damage in attacks on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, according to the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR). Three radar stations and a landing craft were destroyed in the attacks. A video published on the HUR website, the authenticity of which could not be verified, shows the drones approaching the targets.

Putin visits Russian army command post

Meanwhile, according to an agency report, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a command post of his armed forces. There, he was briefed on the situation at the front by, among others, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Ukraine's Western allies have recently tried to increase pressure on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on the allies on Friday to supply Ukraine with longer-range weapons. This week, the EU also announced new sanctions against the Russian energy sector in an effort to weaken the country's war economy.

US President Donald Trump initially rejected further talks with Putin on Saturday. As long as no agreement is in sight, he "will not waste his time," Trump said.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's war of aggression for more than three and a half years. Ukrainian cities have been repeatedly attacked with drones, rockets, and cruise missiles.