Zelenskyy Reports Heavy Russian Losses Near Pokrovsk as Moscow Claims Howitzer Strikes

Ukraine is prioritizing the Pokrovsk axis amid intense Russian assaults and “heavy” enemy losses, according to an update by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X. He said Ukrainian units are holding assignments in Donetsk region, with stabilization measures on some sectors, and claimed Russia has suffered more than 290,000 killed and severely wounded across the front in the first eight months of the year. Zelenskyy added that forces and resources are prepared, with new deep strikes planned, and singled out multiple brigades and special units for commendation.

Russia, meanwhile, said its Battlegroup South destroyed a D-30 122mm and a Bogdana 155mm howitzer near Kostyantynivka, asserting the loss deprived Ukrainian troops of fire support and enabled advances, according to a report by state agency TASS. The claims from both sides could not be independently verified at this time.

What’s next: Monitoring official channels for further battlefield updates from Kyiv and Moscow, including any confirmation of casualty figures, unit movements, and reported strikes.