(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is urgently trying to seize the eastern city of Pokrovsk to reinforce its claim that it can dominate the entire Donbas region, according to reports following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff.

“The number one goal for the Russians is to occupy Pokrovsk as soon as possible,” said Zelenskyy, according to Ukrainian media.

He explained that around 314 Russian soldiers are currently inside the city, while larger units are positioned on its outskirts. Ukrainian forces, he said, have documented 220 attacks on Pokrovsk over the past three days.

“I think this factor may influence both the advancement of sanctions and their delay. Russia fears strong decisions from the United States and wants to use Pokrovsk to show success on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy added.

The president reported that Russian troops suffered their heaviest monthly losses in October since the beginning of the war, with estimated casualties ranging between 27,000 and 28,000 soldiers. He attributed the high toll to Ukraine’s growing deployment of drones and announced that a large-scale domestic production of Mavic-style drones is set to begin soon, noting that “funded contracts are already being prepared.”

Hungary–U.S. Contact
Zelenskyy also commented on a recent meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and U.S. President Donald Trump, expressing confidence that energy issues related to Russia were discussed.

“Everyone understands the consequences of EU and President Trump’s sanctions on energy companies,” he said, cautioning that Kyiv would not support any negotiations driven by “electoral interests” without tangible outcomes.

He added that Ukraine continues to work toward removing Russian oil from European markets and preventing Moscow from profiting from its energy exports.

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