Ukrainian forces are struggling to hold the flanks of a narrowing defensive pocket in the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad area in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast as Russian troops push forward from multiple directions, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have recently advanced in this direction.

Russia pushes toward encirclement as Ukraine holds the shoulders

ISW assessed that the battlefield situation in Pokrovsk remains difficult. Ukrainian forces are attempting to hold the shoulders of the pocket around the town while Russian units continue to advance, especially in eastern and southern Pokrovsk. These advances may indicate an effort by Russian forces to create a sub-pocket that could further trap Ukrainian troops and force a wider withdrawal. Ukraine’s counterattacks continue on the western outskirts of Pokrovsk and within the town itself, slowing Russia’s progress in the north and west.

At the same time, Russian forces appear to maintain fire control over Ukrainian ground lines of communication into the pocket, threatening logistics and complicating Ukraine’s ability to hold the front. 

"Russian forces appear to be working simultaneously to complete the encirclement of the entire pocket and to reduce the pocket itself. The prospects and timeline for those efforts remain unclear," ISW wrote.

Both armies advance in contested areas near Pokrovsk

ISW confirmed that both sides recently made advances in the area. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on 10 November that Ukrainian troops had cleared Rodynske, located north of Pokrovsk. However, geolocated footage published the same day showed that both Ukrainian and Russian forces had moved in southern Rodynske, casting doubt on whether control had fully shifted.

Additional geolocated video showed Ukrainian advances in Zatyshok, northeast of Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, Russian soldiers were filmed raising flags along the T-0515 Pokrovsk–Dobropillya highway in southern Hnativka, east of Pokrovsk. ISW assessed that this was likely an infiltration mission that did not change terrain control or shift the forward edge of the battle area.

Russian attacks intensify, but come at a high cost

Ukrainian military sources reported on 9 and 10 November that Russian troops had resumed high-intensity assaults in the Pokrovsk direction. These assaults came with heavy losses. The Ukrainian General Staff reported in its 0800 10 November update that 97 of 265 total frontline combat engagements in the previous 24 hours occurred in the Pokrovsk direction alone.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 9 November that Russia had committed 170,000 servicemembers to offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction. He added that Russian forces suffered a record 25,000 killed and wounded in the area in October 2025 alone. By comparison, Russia reportedly lost about 15,000 personnel in this direction in January 2025.

Ukrainian paratroopers from the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces have liberated the village of Sukhetske in Pokrovsk district, Donetsk Oblast. On 25 October, the press service of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video showing soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag in the liberated settlement.

Assault and results

During the assault operations, Ukrainian troops engaged in heavy fighting with a Russian unit numbering more than 60 personnel, the Brigade says. According to the Air Assault Forces, 44 Russian occupiers were killed, eight were wounded, and nine surrendered. The command described the operation as “lightning-fast and uncompromising.”

The command stated that the Air Assault Forces demonstrate "resilience, strength, and precise calculation in the hottest points of the front," emphasizing that every meter of liberated land is a step toward victory earned by the courage and blood of Ukraine’s defenders.

Location and situation near Pokrovsk

Militarnyi noted that Sukhetske is located north of the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad agglomeration, near the city of Rodynske. The liberation of the settlement slightly eases the Russian pressure around the agglomeration. However, Russian forces continue to attack this part of the front, carrying out infantry assaults on Pokrovsk.