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.

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces have liberated the village of Kucheriv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, capturing more than 50 Russian troops and rescuing civilians held by occupying forces, Militarnyi reports.

The liberation of Kucheriv Yar marks another local success for Ukraine’s forces on the Donetsk front, where fighting has intensified in recent weeks around the Pokrovsk and Dobropillia directions. Ukrainian troops have been conducting offensive actions to reclaim occupied settlements and disrupt Russian defensive lines.

The operation was carried out by soldiers of the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Air Assault Forces on the Dobropillia front. After a brief reconnaissance and a series of precision strikes, Ukrainian troops broke through Russian defenses and took control of the settlement.

More than 50 Russian soldiers were captured, while others were killed as they tried to flee. The prisoners have been handed over to relevant authorities.

During the clearing operation, Ukrainian troops discovered civilians held in basements. The captives were evacuated and provided with aid.

According to local residents, Russian troops had been ordered “not to take civilians alive” before retreating - a claim confirmed by an intercepted communication released by Ukraine’s Security Service.

The Dobropillia sector has been one of the war’s most contested fronts since August 2025, when Russian forces advanced roughly 15 kilometers, threatening supply routes to Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. 

Ukrainian elite units pushed back, splitting the Russian salient into pockets. Russia has concentrated nearly 100,000 troops in the area, while Ukrainian counterattacks have reclaimed settlements and disrupted Russian attempts to expand their foothold.