New drone footage reveals the extensive destruction in Myrnohrad, a Ukrainian town in the eastern Donetsk region, which is now almost completely encircled by Russian forces. The footage, captured in recent days, shows barely a street untouched, with smoke still rising from fresh damage.
Oleksii Hodzenko, press officer of the drone battalion of the 38th Marine Brigade, described the situation: “They are trying to simply erase the town from the face of the earth.” According to DeepState, an open-source Ukrainian map, the town is nearly surrounded. Hodzenko noted that while a route out for Ukrainian troops remains, logistics have become extremely difficult, with rotations rarely possible and soldiers staying for weeks.
Ukraine’s eastern command stated it is channelling supplies to troops in Myrnohrad, with ground-robot drones used to deliver food and water. The town, which had a population of about 46,000 before the 2022 invasion, has been turned into an uninhabitable shell by Russian glide bombs, attack drones, and artillery over the past year.
Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yurii Ushakov claimed that Russia’s battlefield progress has strengthened its negotiating position in talks with the US on a peace plan. Russia’s defence ministry asserted control over nearby Pokrovsk, but Ukraine’s General Staff rejected this, with Colonel Volodymyr Polevyi confirming that Ukrainian forces are still fighting in the northern part of the city.
Hodzenko urged continued Western military support, warning that without it, the West might ultimately face war with Russia. “In order for the West not to go to war with Russia after a certain time, the West must certainly help us in any possible way,” he said.
