In these minutes, Ukrainian defenders are conducting clearing operations in Pokrovsk to prevent the city from being captured by Russian forces. The soldiers are pushing the aggressor back and working to prevent a strategic breakthrough in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps reports.

Ukraine reinforces positions as Russia tightens its advance with every second

According to the reports, Russia has concentrated nearly 170,000 troops on the Pokrovsk front. The occupiers are continuing to infiltrate the city and conducting free reconnaissance from drones. Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers refuse to leave the ground. 

“Over the past few days, the Defense Forces have created conditions to replenish our troops in the area of responsibility with additional personnel and equipment,” Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps said. 

The Ukrainian forces prevented the Russians from cutting off the road connecting Pokrovsk and Rodynske. 

“To counter the enemy, we are continuing to deploy more assault units and special forces,” the report states.

According to Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps, the city’s defenses have already been reinforced with additional forces.

“We have clear plans to counter the enemy and maintain close coordination to stabilize the situation," it said. 

Pokrovsk’s twin city also appears in Russian "combat pocket"

According to some sources, up to a thousand Russian troops may be present in the city. The railway line running through Pokrovsk effectively divides it in half. OSINT sources have started marking the southern part of the city as a gray zone or under Russian control.

Nevertheless, there is currently no encirclement or “cauldron.” The occupiers are conducting raids into the central, western, and northern parts of the city, engaging in close combat.

An additional threat comes from simultaneous enemy pressure on Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk’s twin city. Both localities are now effectively in a “pocket,” with logistics hampered by constant FPV drone attacks on supply routes, RBC reports. 

“The fate of Pokrovsk will be decided in the coming weeks. If we lose Pokrovsk, we’ll likely have to abandon Myrnohrad without a fight. And then this problem will spread further north in Donetsk Oblast," a source said. 

Meanwhile, Russian occupation forces reportedly have a new “deadline” for seizing the entire Donetsk Oblast by the end of February 2026. That means that the region is expected to remain the epicenter of fighting throughout the coming winter.

The hell of Pokrovsk is growing hour by hour. Ukraine’s monitoring project DeepState reports that Russian forces from the 170,000 grouping continue infiltrating the city in Donetsk Oblast. The occupation groups are being tracked or eliminated in multiple districts, expanding the “gray zone” of Russian reconnaissance and sabotage activity.

Southern breach and flank threats

According to DeepState, Russian troops are pushing into the city through Ukrainian defense lines from the south, along the Zvirove–Shevchenko–Novopavlivka sector, as well as following the railway from Kotlyne.

"In recent days, the concentration of Russian forces has grown on the eastern outskirts of the city, near the settlement of Rivne," analysts noted.

Russian entrenchment inside the city

DeepState observes that Russian troops are beginning to entrench themselves in the city, setting up firing positions, observation posts, and footholds.

“This is facilitated by the large number of infantry, which often moves from district to district as Ukrainian units attempt to clear them out,” the report states.

An increased concentration of Russian infantry has also been recorded on the northern outskirts of Pokrovsk, further complicating the tactical situation.

The Russian command is taking direct control

Senior Ukrainian military leadership has arrived in the Pokrovsk area and assumed control of operations.

“We are seeing decisions to deploy specialized units to clear enemy forces from the city, where several hundred Russian infantry have accumulated. However, no measures have yet been announced to block the enemy’s infiltration from the southern sector,” analysts added.

DeepState notes that the results of these measures will become clear over time.