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.

Ukrainian special forces, working with Russian insurgents, report they destroyed two of Russia’s most advanced air defense assets in Rostov Oblast. The attack reportedly happened overnight on 28 September and was confirmed publicly on 31 October by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO).

Ukrainian commandos say Buk‑M3 and Nebo‑U radar destroyed in covert operation

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces announced they had taken out two major components of Russia’s air defense infrastructure — the Buk‑M3 surface-to-air missile system and the Nebo‑U early warning radar station — during a special operation carried out jointly with the Russian resistance group Chornaya Iskra (“Black Spark”). The hit occurred in Rostov Oblast, inside southern Russian territory, in the early hours of 28 September.

Euromaidan Press couldn't independently verify this report.

The military reported both systems were disabled and turned into “scrap metal.” They emphasized the strategic value of the strike, stating that the Buk‑M3 and Nebo‑U posed “a serious threat to the work of Ukrainian combat aviation in the frontline zone” and interfered with Ukraine’s deep strike kamikaze drone operations.

The Buk-M3 and Nebo-U

The Special Operations Forces said the value of each system is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Buk‑M3 is capable of hitting aerial targets at distances of up to 80 km and speeds of up to 3 km/s. Its engagement range spans from 2.5 to 80 km, with altitudes between 15 meters and 35 km.

The Nebo‑U radar system can detect fighter aircraft at a distance of more than 400 km when targets fly at an altitude of 20 km. For lower-flying objects, the range is 65 km. 

The Ukrainian Army's Special Operations Forces (SSO) struck Russian-controlled fuel infrastructure in occupied Luhansk Oblast overnight on 27 October. They reported destroying a front-line fuel storage site in Starobilsk and an oil depot in Luhansk city. The footage, shared by the SSO, showed fires in Starobilsk, yet the damage from the Luhansk strike remains unconfirmed.

Special forces strike fuel targets overnight

The SSO reported that the strikes targeted logistical sites used by Russian forces in the occupied part of Luhansk Oblast. The attack was carried out by drones at a time when the fuel tanks were filled, which they said intensified the effect.

Footage released by the SSO shows the first-person view from long-range drone strikes on 15 fuel tanks shaped like railway tankers, arranged in three rows of five each, in Starobilsk. The two following strikes show fires continuing after the previous hits.

The last segment of the video shows one drone strike on a large stationary fuel tank at the Luhansk oil depot. Unfortunately, no footage of subsequent Luhansk strikes was shared to confirm the damage.

Both cities are under 100 km behind the frontlines.

The SSO said such asymmetric strikes would continue to "accelerate the disruption of Russian offensive efforts."

Occupation authorities confirm infrastructure damage

Russian-installed Luhansk occupation authorities confirmed the strikes. Russian news Telegram channel Astra cited the so-called “deputy minister of fuel, energy, and coal industry of the LNR,” Andrei Eliseev, who claimed that administrative buildings, several fuel trucks, and fuel tanks were damaged.

Eliseev stated personnel were evacuated and that there were no casualties.

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported an infiltration into Russian-held territory in Donetsk Oblast, where they carried out a deadly strike behind enemy lines. According to the report, the 8th SSO regiment eliminated three Russian soldiers, captured critical matériel, and supported nearby Ukrainian units preparing to retake lost positions.

Ukrainian SSO attacks Russian rear after crossing the frontline on recon mission

According to the Special Operations Forces, the operators of the 8th separate SSO regiment carried out a successful raid on one of the sectors in Donetsk Oblast. The mission began as a reconnaissance operation behind enemy lines, with the group ordered to cross the frontline undetected, assess Russian positions, and be ready for direct action, Militarnyi notes.

Their task was critical for the success of neighboring Ukrainian formations that were preparing to restore control over previously lost positions.

The Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published video footage of the mission on 23 October. The video confirms the successful completion of the operation and the seizure of Russian equipment. 

The Ukrainian SOF unit approached from behind, avoided detection, and initiated a swift assault on a Russian group. As a result, three Russian servicemen were killed on the spot. Ukrainian forces also captured Russian communications gear, navigation equipment, and documents during the raid.

The SSO says its group "completed the mission and created favorable conditions for the implementation of the overall plan on this section of the front."