Russia aims to seize all of Donetsk region by April 1, 2026 — sources
Illustrative photo: Russia wants to occupy the entire Donetsk region by April 1 (GettyImages)
Russia has designated the capture of the entire Donetsk region as its main frontline priority in 2026. To achieve this, the Russians are concentrating forces on several key axes, primarily around Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and the Kramatorsk–Kostiantynivka agglomeration, according to an RBC-Ukraine article War of attrition and pressure talks: What Kremlin's planning for Ukraine in 2026.
Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad are the main tactical objectives
The primary task of the Russian command remains completing the occupation of the Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad area. If successful in this sector, the enemy plans to:
- advance westward toward the administrative border with the Dnipropetrovsk region;
- launch an offensive northward to support an attack on the Kramatorsk–Kostiantynivka agglomeration.
This fortified defensive belt—Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk—is considered Ukraine’s strongest defensive line in the Donetsk region.
An offensive on the agglomeration from several directions
Currently, Russian troops are attempting to approach the Kramatorsk–Kostiantynivka agglomeration from several directions simultaneously.
One axis lies north of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, where the enemy holds a bridgehead on the left bank of the Oskil River within the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. The main fighting here is taking place near Kupiansk and Lyman.
Another axis is from the east, from the direction of Siversk. From there, the occupiers are trying to advance both directly westward and northwestward, including attempts to cross the Siverskyi Donets River.
The enemy has come closest to the agglomeration from the direction of Kostiantynivka, where it is gradually amassing personnel on the eastern outskirts of the city and attempting to envelop it from the north and south.
Encirclement tactics instead of frontal assaults
The Russian army is attacking cities directly less often. Instead, it is using tactics of gradual encirclement and cutting logistics routes.
According to sources, the enemy’s current tactics consist of three elements:
According to this scheme, the Russians are fighting for Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad and planning an offensive on the Kramatorsk–Kostiantynivka agglomeration.
The Kremlin sets a deadline - April 1, 2026
According to RBC-Ukraine sources, Moscow plans to occupy the entire Donetsk region by April 1, 2026. But the interlocutors consider these timelines unrealistic.
Assessments by Western analytical centers, including the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), indicate that Russia is unlikely to achieve this goal even by the end of 2026, provided that Western support for Ukraine continues.
Ukrainian soldiers repel an assault near Pokrovsk
On January 7, servicemen of the 46th Separate Airmobile Podillia Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine thwarted a large-scale Russian offensive on the Pokrovsk axis.
According to the Air Assault Forces command, the enemy attacked using tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry, but thanks to coordinated work by engineering units, artillery, and drone operators, the assault was repelled.
During the fighting, the enemy suffered significant losses. Ukrainian defenders destroyed two tanks, two armored combat vehicles, and other equipment. In addition, Ukrainian units are holding the northern part of Pokrovsk and containing the offensive on the approaches to Myrnohrad, preparing for counterassaults that are being complicated by weather conditions.
Russian forces attempted to carry out an assault on Ukrainian positions in northern Pokrovsk.
