The Russians are pushing with full force to gain a foothold in Pokrovsk. The city is becoming a “gray zone,” characterized by unpredictability and uncertain control, says Ukrainian soldier known as Hus from Ukraine’s 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade, according to Kyiv24.

Strategic gateway to the entire Donetsk Oblast

Capturing Pokrovsk would give Russian forces a major logistical hub, opening access to key cities such as Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka, and Druzhkivka.

This would enable Russian forces to intensify their pressure and expand control across Donetsk Oblast, moving closer to seizing the entire region.

Infiltration from the south and fierce fighting for every Block

According to Hus, Russian infiltration is currently taking place from the southern and southwestern parts of the city, with Russian troops focusing their efforts on securing positions in the southern districts.

“The enemy is being detected almost in every block and neighborhood, moving in small groups of several fighters,” he said.

The soldier noted that the situation remains unstable as certain positions may change hands several times.

“We can’t speak of any stable control by the enemy at this point — the entire city is essentially a gray zone,” he emphasized.

Encirclement plan meets resistance

Hus explained that Russian forces are attempting a two-pronged advance to encircle Ukrainian defenders and "close the pocket."

“They’re pushing hard from the west toward Hryshyne, from the southwest on one side, and from the northeast near Rodynske and Chervonyi Lyman, where heavy fighting continues,” he explained.

The occupiers are attempting to converge from both directions and seal the pocket, but they are still far from achieving this goal. 

Russian forces launched a sweeping overnight assault on Ukraine, striking civilian and energy infrastructure across several oblasts, according to the Ministry of Energy and multiple regional authorities. The air assault left six civilians dead and 13 injured, and plunged the entire Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast into a full blackout.

Donetsk Oblast completely loses power after Russian strike, outages in three other regions

Early on 2 November, authorities reported widespread emergency power outages in the Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast. According to the Kramatorsk City Council and the Druzhkivka City Military Administration, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Sloviansk were among the cities affected.

By 11:30 a.m., the head of Donetsk Oblast, Vadym Filashkin, confirmed the entire oblast under Ukrainian control had been cut off from the national grid due to Russian attacks.

“Emergency power outages began in the national power grid due to enemy strikes on infrastructure,” Filashkin wrote. He added that repair teams had started working to restore power as soon as security conditions allowed.

The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine confirmed the blackout in Donetsk Oblast and partial outages in three more regions, stating:

“Today, Russia again struck energy facilities. Donetsk is completely de-energized, and consumers in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv are partially disconnected.”

Two killed, three injured in Odesa drone attack

In the early hours of 2 November, Russian drones struck a truck parking lot in Odesa Oblast. The State Emergency Service (DSNS) of Odesa reported that the impact caused a fire involving five trucks, one of which was loaded with soybeans. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze.

The Odesa Oblast Prosecutor’s Office later confirmed two people were killed in the attack. Three others were injured, including one man who was hospitalized with thermal burns; his condition was assessed as moderate. The identities of the deceased were not immediately known. Another injured man, aged 42, was also taken to a medical facility, while two others received treatment on site.

Four civilians killed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including two children

On the evening of 1 November, Russian forces shelled Samarskyi District in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Acting head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, Vladyslav Haivanenko, reported that four civilians were killed, including two children — boys aged 11 and 14. Seven other people were injured in the strike.

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Haivanenko reported on 2 November that a 50-year-old woman who had been critically injured in the attack died in hospital overnight. Rescue workers extinguished a fire caused by the shelling and cleared debris from the site.

Three civilians injured in Zaporizhzhia city

Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia city overnight on 1–2 November using multiple launch rocket systems. According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast head Ivan Fedorov, three civilians were injured, including an 87-year-old woman who suffered fractures.

The city’s Shevchenkivskyi District was damaged. According to the city council, 65 detached houses were hit. The State Environmental Inspection reported that over 700 square meters were littered with debris, and a crater approximately 30 square meters in size was recorded at the site of impact.

Civilian homes hit in Chernihiv Oblast

Two Shahed attack drones hit the town of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Chernihiv Oblast overnight on 2 November. According to the head of the Novhorod-Siverskyi District Administration, Oleksandr Seliverstov, the drones struck a residential area. Several civilian homes were damaged, though no casualties were reported.

Ukrainian Air Force intercepts 67 drones during mass attack

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched a combined attack starting at 7:00 p.m. on 1 November, using 79 attack drones — including Shahed and Gerbera models — and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Launch sites included Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Russian forces are intensifying operations around Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, aiming to seize the town as fighting shifts to close-quarters battles under worsening weather, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. According to the report, geolocated footage confirms recent Russian advances in both central and southeastern Pokrovsk, while Ukrainian troops say Russian units have infiltrated neighboring towns and established near-total fire control over Myrnohrad’s supply route.

Russian troops advance into urban core of Pokrovsk

ISW assessed on 1 November that Russian forces recently pushed deeper into central and southeastern Pokrovsk. Geolocated footage posted on 31 October and 1 November shows Russian troops advancing along Berezina Street in central Pokrovsk and on the M30 highway in the southeastern part of the city. Russian milbloggers went further, claiming advances in areas the footage does not support — including northeastern Pokrovsk and northeast of Kotlyne, southwest of the city.

A senior Ukrainian officer told Ukrainian outlet Hromadske on 31 October that Russian troops are currently operating in about 60% of Pokrovsk and have entered Rodynske to the north and Myrnohrad to the east. Meanwhile, geolocated video confirms Ukrainian forces still hold or recently regained ground in central Rodynske — a location where Russian sources earlier claimed control.

Russian redeployment shifts pressure to Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad

On 1 November, the chief sergeant of a Ukrainian brigade in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka area, northeast of Pokrovsk, reported that Russian forces significantly reduced attacks there following a failed mechanized assault on 27 October. The officer suggested the drop in activity indicates Russia redeployed troops to strengthen its offensive on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.

A Ukrainian drone operator working in Pokrovsk told Hromadske that Russian units are isolating some Ukrainian positions through infiltration. A spokesperson for a Ukrainian brigade in the area confirmed logistics have become “complicated” but said Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) remain uncut.

A Ukrainian officer said Russian forces have near-total fire control over the narrow road supplying Myrnohrad.

Weather, infiltration, and drone combat reshape the Pokrovsk front

ISW emphasized that fog, rain, and urban terrain are disrupting both Russian and Ukrainian drone operations while shaping infiltration tactics. A Ukrainian officer told Hromadske on 31 October that infantry on the front line rarely engage in direct combat. Instead, Russian forces target drone and mortar crews operating in near rear positions.

The same officer stated that constant Russian infiltrations are forcing Ukrainian drone crews to shorten their flight times and prepare for direct combat, often engaging infiltrators with small arms. Ukrainian units have reportedly been forced to pull back their second echelon drone operators, reducing their capacity to strike Russian forces on Pokrovsk’s outskirts.

One Ukrainian drone pilot said control over high-rise buildings is now decisive. Both sides are fighting for rooftops and elevated terrain that allow operators to hit enemy GLOCs from up to 30 kilometers away.