Russia is trying to take Pokrovsk in its "claws", concentrating a significant group in this direction and using the tactics of small assault groups. This was stated on the air of the channel "We are Ukraine" by the senior sergeant of the BPA platoon of the brigade reconnaissance of the 42nd separate mechanized brigade with the call sign Ron. According to him, about 170 thousand Russian military personnel are concentrated in the Pokrovsk direction, who are trying to exhaust the defense with "waves" of small units. A similar assessment of the number of Russian forces in the Pokrovsk area was voiced the day before by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
International agencies describe the fighting for the city as one of the fiercest: the Russian Federation is trying to outflank and squeeze the Defense Forces grouping around key arteries, avoiding frontal assaults characteristic of the previous stages of the war. Analysts call Pokrovsk an important transport hub and the "gateway" to Kramatorsk-Slovyansk; capturing the city would open up a further bridgehead for the Russian Federation in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian intelligence GUR announced the conduct of a special operation in the city: after the landing, the units occupied designated lines and are waging heavy fighting. Open sources published photos/videos with the head of GUR, Kirill Budanov, in Pokrovsk. At the same time, small enemy groups continue to operate in the area, trying to infiltrate the city.
The Russians claim to have "encircled" Ukrainian units and are calling on them to surrender; the Ukrainian side confirms the extremely difficult situation, but reports counterattacks and the absence of a complete ring. The situation is fluid; maps and reports indicate attempts by the Russian Federation to close wedges around key neighborhoods and supply routes.
Context: Throughout the fall, the Russian Federation has been increasing pressure on Pokrovsk, combining artillery/air strikes with “packages” of small assault groups. This tactic aims to erode defenses, conduct reconnaissance, and gradually take positions in industrial/sleeping areas. According to Western and Ukrainian sources, it is the scale of the concentration of forces and the logistical importance of the city that determine the intensity of the fighting.
