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.

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.