Ukrainian forces continue resisting Russian pressure in the heavily contested city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, where close-quarters fighting is ongoing and logistics remain operational, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. The general noted that reports that Russian forces have taken control of the city of Pokrovsk or have operationally encircled Ukrainian forces are false.

Syrskyi rejects claims of Russian control in Pokrovsk

Syrskyi stated on the morning of 13 November that Russian forces have not captured Pokrovsk and Ukrainian troops in the area are not surrounded. He emphasized that the stabilization of the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad operation depends on coordinated actions between military leadership, combat units, and subunits carrying out assigned tasks.

To address the evolving situation, Syrskyi says he has visited the Pokrovsk direction, where he and local commanders evaluated the results of previously defined objectives and planned further operations. He stressed that the Pokrovsk axis remains the main focus of Russian offensive activity, with the highest number of daily enemy assaults recorded there. A significant portion of Russia’s forces in Ukraine is now concentrated on this front.

Urban fighting and logistics under pressure, search-and-destroy missions ongoing near Pokrovsk

According to Syrskyi, Ukrainian troops are engaged in continuous combat with small Russian assault infantry groups both on the outskirts and within Pokrovsk’s urban areas. There are also occasional engagements involving the destruction of light Russian vehicles.

Ukraine’s key objectives in this sector, he said, include gradually regaining control of designated areas, maintaining and defending current logistics routes, and organizing additional supply lines. These efforts are aimed at ensuring the timely delivery of essential materials to frontline defenders and the uninterrupted evacuation of wounded personnel.

Fighting also continues in the nearby Ocheretyne direction. Syrskyi reported that over the past seven days, Ukrainian forces have cleared 7.4 km² of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Pokrovsk district through search-and-strike operations.

"There is no question of Russian control over Pokrovsk or an operational encirclement of the Ukrainian Defense Forces grouping," Syrskyi said.

Meanwhile, the General Staff of Ukraine has released video footage showing Ukrainian forces targeting Russian troops and retaking previously lost positions in Pokrovsk. The footage from the 425th Separate Assault Regiment showed the use of tracked vehicles in logistics operations and the elimination of Russian soldiers during urban combat.

Russia increases pressure on Pokrovsk

Russian troops recently exploited poor weather conditions—specifically heavy fog—to penetrate parts of Pokrovsk. Separately, the Russians recently launched a mass assault on the city using light vehicles along the Selydove–Pokrovsk highway, achieving partial success.

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.

Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting to control the key Donetsk Oblast city of Pokrovsk, where both sides target each other’s supply lines, as Russian advances slow, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The think tank said Russian troops are trying to regroup and bring reinforcements into the southern part of the town, while Ukrainian defenders still hold ground across Pokrovsk.

Pokrovsk battle slows but fighting continues

ISW wrote on 9 November that Russian and Ukrainian forces continue interdiction campaigns in the Pokrovsk direction while the pace of Russian advances has temporarily decreased. The think tank found no evidence of new Russian gains that day, matching Ukrainian reports that Moscow’s troops have slowed ground activity to extend logistics and bring in reinforcements.

A source reportedly connected to Ukrainian military intelligence said on 8 November that Russian forces are present in most parts of Pokrovsk but cannot encircle it. According to the source, Russian units are conducting infiltration missions through southern Pokrovsk and have moved in mortar crews and additional drone operators to step up attacks on Ukrainian ground lines of communication.

Drones dominate the fight

A Ukrainian servicemember operating in the area told ISW that Russian troops mainly use first-person view and winged drones to strike Ukrainian supply routes. The soldier added that Ukrainian forces are also targeting Russian logistics and that the enemy is “suffering,” though poor weather continues to hinder Ukrainian drone missions against Russian infiltration groups.

The servicemember said Ukrainian troops still maintain positions throughout Pokrovsk, while Russian units hold parts of the southern districts. Some Russian military bloggers claimed that the fighting is not intense enough for the city to be “engulfed in flames,” noting that machine gun fire has become rare.

Russia reinforces for new offensive

Other Russian bloggers asserted that their forces are clearing Dinas Microraion in eastern Pokrovsk, cutting Ukrainian logistics to Rodynske to the north, and fighting in the northern, northeastern, and southern sectors of the city. They also said the main Russian grouping operates about 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk, with both sides’ drones scouting access roads.

" ISW continues to assess that Russian forces will likely increase their tempo of ground activity in Pokrovsk in the coming days as they extend logistics and bring forward personnel into the town," the think tank wrote.

Traces of the Russians disappear in the dust of clearance operations in Kharkiv Oblast. Nearly sixty Russian saboteurs are still hiding within the city. Ukrainian forces are actively hunting them down, says Yurii Fedorenko, commander of Ukraine's 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment Akhilles, per Suspilne. 

In September 2025, the Russian Defense Ministry publicly confirmed its plans to expand military operations deeper into Kharkiv Oblast following the potential capture of Kupiansk.

In a social media statement, it declared that its forces "intend to leverage the seizure of Kupiansk to attack further into eastern Kharkiv Oblast in several directions simultaneously."

When the fog sets in ... 

The Russians are using almost no armored vehicles, except during foggy conditions when Ukrainian drones are less effective.

“When fog falls and drones can’t operate properly, the occupiers try to move logistics equipment and manpower closer to the front line, sometimes in light armored vehicles,” Fedorenko says.

Continuous infantry "infiltration"

The main tactic of Russian forces remains constant fire pressure and continuous infantry infiltration. The Russians continue to storm Ukrainian lines, forming a “chain” and attempting to slip between defensive positions. Kupiansk, however, has now been largely cleared of infiltrators.

“In the right-bank part of Kupiansk and its northwestern outskirts, where the Russian had managed to penetrate earlier, their sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been eliminated,” Fedorenko adds.

According to the Ukrainian soldier, it took enormous effort for the Kyiv forces to achieve this, although some small reconnaissance and sabotage groups remain. 

Zelenskyy: "We will clear everything — dates already set"

On 3 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to completely clear Kupiansk of Russian occupiers, according to UkrInform. 

“We will clear everything. The dates have already been set, but it’s too early to share details,” Zelenskyy said.

The situation in the Kupiansk direction remains difficult, but Ukrainian forces are holding back the occupiers and preventing them from reaching the city center.

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. 

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.

Russia forms female assault units. Pro-Ukrainian partisans of the Atesh movement have reported the formation of assault companies composed of women on the Pokrovsk axis in Ukraine, calling it proof of "cynicism." 

Russia needs Pokrovsk to push further into Donetsk Oblast.

Command is throwing anyone to the slaughter

This summer, Russia concentrated some 100,000 soldiers here. The occupiers are prepared to throw anyone to their deaths, turning women into cannon fodder, to fulfill losses. 

“The regimental command, attempting to make up for personnel shortages, began forming assault companies from women,” partisans report.

Women used under cover of civilians for reconnaissance

Women are also being used for infiltration. If an assault fails, they are ordered to change into civilian clothes to pass as civilians while conducting reconnaissance and reporting the movements of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

“Our sources confirm: for these women there is no way back. Their lives depend solely on the ‘mercy’ of commanders, which can be earned only one way,” Atesh said.

The movement appeals directly to the regiment’s servicemen and to the women being sent to certain death: “Your life is more important than criminal orders. Do not become part of this cynical plan.”