In Ukraine, according to the Bild newspaper , there are growing fears of a major military defeat in the Donbas. According to Ukrainian military sources, the Russian army is close to capturing the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad and encircling Ukrainian troops in the region.

Officially, Kiev says it still holds the positions, but internal reports speak of serious losses and chaos on the front line. Critics accuse President Volodymyr Zelensky of refusing to order a timely retreat, similar to the defence of Bakhmut in 2023.

A Ukrainian diplomat was quoted by the newspaper as saying: "Yes, the pattern is similar. We defend ourselves heroically, claim that Russia is in a worse position than it says, and then we withdraw." There is also speculation in the country that the president is trying to avoid retreating so as not to undermine the confidence of US President Donald Trump.

Soldiers in the area are reporting a dire situation, having lost most of Pokrovsk and being on the verge of encirclement. Although they are fighting for less than a fifth of the area, they are losing even that, in their own words. One officer declared that the late counter-offensives were "useless and bloody".

(max)