“The situation in Pokrovsk remains tense, Ukrainian troops resist Russian attempts to encircle”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
It is reported that Ukrainian troops recently cleared Rodynske (north of Pokrovsk), trying to hold the northern flank of the “pocket”. Ukrainian troops are simultaneously counterattacking in Pokrovsk and on its western outskirts to prevent further Russian advances on the southern flank of the “pocket”.
According to ISW analysts, the Russian advance in the north and west of Pokrovsk has slowed down in recent days, probably due to Ukraine’s constant efforts to counterattack.
“Russian forces continue to advance in eastern and southern Pokrovsk, which may indicate that Russian forces may try to create a ‘pocket’ to support Russia’s efforts to encircle Ukrainian forces in the city and ultimately force Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the wider ‘pocket.’ Russian forces are also likely to exercise fire control over Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOC) “pockets”, complicating Ukraine’s logistics. “Russian forces appear to be simultaneously working to complete the encirclement of the entire ‘pocket’ and reduce it,” the report said.
Analysts note that the prospects and timing of these efforts remain unclear.
Read also: Hold Pokrovsk: possible scenarios, feasibility of defense and risks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi previously reported that the Russian military command had engaged 170,000 troops in offensive operations in the Pokrovsky direction, but in October 2025 alone, Russian forces suffered a record 25,000 killed and wounded in the area. For comparison, ISW recalls that Russian forces reportedly suffered approximately 15,000 casualties in the Pokrovsky direction in January 2025.
On November 7, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Andriy Hnatov stated that the Pokrovsky direction is one of the hottest on the front today. “The enemy is not giving up its attempts to seize Pokrovsk and create conditions for the encirclement of the Pokrovsk-Myrnograd agglomeration,” he said, adding that Russian forces have had this intention for more than a year.
Pokrovsk – a city with a population of about 1,250 people (estimated by the local authorities at the end of October, before the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation – more than 60,000) – is an important road and railway junction and was under threat of encirclement by Russian troops for most of the year.