Russian troops entered Pokrovsk. The city is not yet completely encircled, but the Ukrainians’ withdrawal will be difficult. An assessment.
Nov 7, 2025, 6:23 amNov 7, 2025, 6:23 am
Kurt Pelda / ch media
Since the fall of the industrial city of Avdiivka in February 2024, the next target of the Russian invaders in the Ukrainian Donbass was Pokrovsk. The important transport hub with formerly 60,000 to 65,000 inhabitants was one of the wealthier agglomerations in the Donetsk Oblast thanks to coal mining. However, it took the Russians 21 months to cover the almost 50 kilometers from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk.
Ukrainian soldiers defend Pokrovsk: the city is now almost surrounded by Russian troops.Image: keystone
Estimates of Russian losses range from a few thousand dead to tens of thousands killed and wounded, as well as hundreds of armored vehicles destroyed. Even Russian commentators are talking about the horrendous death toll, especially because of Ukrainian drone attacks.
A gap of three kilometers
The real battle for Pokrovsk began in the summer of 2024. Shortly before, the city administration had had roses planted in the traffic circles – as if it had wanted to give the approaching Russians a pleasant welcome. However, the invaders made great efforts to even get close to the population center.
The city lost its role as a transport hub after the Russians bombed the train station and thus prevented the removal of coal from the surrounding mines. In February 2025, Putin’s forces reached the road connecting Pokrovsk and the town of Kostiantinivka to the northeast.
With this advance, the Ukrainians’ defeat began to become apparent, as the Russians advanced further north from the connecting road in May, driving a wedge between the twin cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in the west and the three cities of Kostiantinivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in the northeast that remained under Ukrainian control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (3rd from left) visiting troops in the Pokrovsk region at the beginning of the month.Image: keystone
Although Kiev’s troops were able to reduce this wedge again from mid-August thanks to reinforcements from other sectors of the front, Myrnograd and Pokrovsk remained surrounded on three sides.
At the moment, the Ukrainians have a gap about three kilometers wide to withdraw from the pocket. But it is not even clear whether the commander in chief, General Sirskij, has actually given the order to withdraw. Even before the defeat in Avdiivka, the military leadership had hesitated far too long before finally allowing the soldiers to leave their positions – with the corresponding death toll that could have been avoided.
Chaos in the city
The Ukrainian leadership denies that Pokrovsk is surrounded. This is technically correct, but with their drones the Russians can constantly threaten all possible routes out of the cauldron, even at night thanks to thermal imaging cameras. Such denials do nothing to change the plight of the Ukrainians.
Only bad weather, especially ground fog, could help the defenders to free themselves from the clutches. The attackers had also taken advantage of bad weather in recent weeks to advance into the city center with small groups of soldiers undetected by Ukrainian drones.
Russian media are now reporting that parts of the Ukrainian army’s 68th Jaeger Brigade surrendered in the center of Pokrovsk, although without providing any visual evidence. A Ukrainian sergeant, on the other hand, spoke of chaotic conditions. Friend and foe were often indistinguishable, and sometimes Russians and Ukrainians fought each other within the same building.
Apparently, the Ukrainian military leadership has sent additional elite units to Pokrovsk, including a military intelligence airborne group transported by two helicopters. While some Ukrainians speak of a counter-offensive in this context, the interpretation is more natural that the elite soldiers should prepare the withdrawal of the remaining combat units from Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, further east.
The noncommissioned officer mentioned, however, pointed out that the Ukrainians hardly had any infantry in the positions outside the city anymore, but rather defended the open area primarily with drones.
Big gray area
According to Ukrainian media, the Russians have a numerical superiority of around five times near Pokrovsk. General Sirskij has long been emphasizing the importance of the Russian offensive in this area: Moscow has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers to finally conquer the former transport hub.
This is by far the largest battle in Ukraine. A significant part of the city now seems to belong to the so-called gray zone. This refers to areas where both warring parties are present with soldiers and bases, but no one exercises full control.
The fall of Pokrovsk would be convenient for the Russian soldiers because they could set up winter quarters in the ruins. And from Pokrovsk they would certainly advance further north in order to ultimately attack Putin’s most important war target in the Donbass, the large city of Kramatorsk. (aargauerzeitung.ch)