For the battered city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, the past several weeks have marked a turning point in a war that’s already stretched the limits of endurance for both soldiers and civilians. Once home to more than 60,000 people, Pokrovsk has become a near-ghost town, with only about 1,200 residents clinging to life in basement shelters, according to regional authorities. The city’s streets and apartment blocks bear the scars of relentless Russian drone, rocket, and glide bomb attacks that have reduced much of the infrastructure to rubble. Now, as November 2025 begins, the fight for Pokrovsk has entered a critical and precarious phase.
Russian troops have pressed hard in recent weeks. Reports from Ukrainska Pravda on October 24 cited at least 250 Russian soldiers engaged in fierce small-arms firefights inside Pokrovsk, targeting Ukrainian troops and drone operators. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, noted Russian advances in central and western Pokrovsk, with the frontline positions in and around the city remaining murky and ever-changing. By early November, Ukrainian and Russian forces were locked in urban combat, with neither side fully controlling the city center. Interactive mapping by DeepState, a Ukrainian group tracking frontlines, showed much of central Pokrovsk in contested gray—no man’s land where control shifts by the hour.
Despite the chaos, Ukrainian officials have pushed back against Russian claims of a decisive breakthrough. On October 30, both President Volodymyr Zelensky and General Oleksandr Syrskyi visited frontline units near Pokrovsk, publicly denying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Ukrainian troops had been encircled. “There is no encirclement or blockade of the cities. We are doing everything possible to maintain logistics,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on November 1, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. He emphasized the importance of maintaining supply routes and described broad operations to destroy and expel Russian forces from the city, with the main burden falling on Ukraine’s assault units, drone operators, and special forces.
The numbers, however, paint a grim picture for Ukraine’s defenders. According to President Zelensky, Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian units around Pokrovsk by a staggering eight to one. ISW estimates there are about 11,000 Russian troops concentrated in the area. The Ukrainian General Staff has confirmed the presence of around 200 Russian soldiers in the city itself, with at least 250 engaged in direct combat as of late October. Despite these odds, Ukrainian forces have not been surrounded, and fighting remains intense, particularly as Russian troops have taken positions along the railway in the city’s south and continue to push from multiple directions.
The battle for Pokrovsk is not just about territory—it’s about logistics, morale, and the ability to replenish dwindling ranks. Ukraine’s recruitment problems have become increasingly acute. As reported by the BBC, the government’s decision in August to ease travel restrictions for young men aged 18 to 22 has led to a dramatic increase in the number of potential recruits leaving the country. Between January and August, about 45,000 Ukrainian men in that age group entered Poland. Since the rules were relaxed, nearly 100,000 more have crossed the border, with many moving on to Germany. Germany’s federal ministry reports a jump from about 100 arrivals per week in late August to over 1,400 per week by October. These figures have sparked political debate across Europe. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder told Bild, “It doesn’t help anyone if more and more young men from Ukraine come to Germany instead of defending their own homeland.” Poland’s far-right Confederation party has also criticized its government for allowing this influx.
The manpower shortage is compounded by President Zelensky’s reluctance to lower the age for compulsory military service from 25 to 18, a move some observers argue is necessary to fill the gaps at the front. Instead, the government has offered bonuses to young recruits who sign up for a year, but this initiative has not been enough to offset the losses and fill depleted units. As Peter Dickinson, editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert service, noted, the issue has been exacerbated by these recruitment challenges and the government’s policy decisions.
Meanwhile, the Russian side has escalated its pressure not only on Pokrovsk but across the wider front. On October 20, Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn reported a significant uptick in Russian airstrikes and drone attacks, particularly in Zaporizhzhya Oblast. The ISW and DeepState both noted increased Russian activity on the southern front in late October, with Russian troops advancing near Kozatske, Krasnohorske, Myroliubivka, and occupying Novohryhorivka. The intensity of the fighting has only grown, with the Ukrainian General Staff describing the situation in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area as “difficult,” citing Russian numerical superiority and increased offensive efforts.
In the midst of these battles, Ukrainian special forces have mounted daring operations to disrupt Russian advances. On October 31, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) launched a special operation involving airborne assault units in Pokrovsk, under the command of HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov. Reuters reported that the raid began earlier in the week, with Ukrainian special forces landing from a Black Hawk helicopter in areas compromised by Russian drone activity. A video shared with journalists appeared to show at least 10 soldiers disembarking in an open field, though the location and date have not been independently verified. Russia’s Defense Ministry later claimed the raid had been thwarted and that all 11 personnel who landed were killed—a claim Ukraine denied.
As the fighting rages in Pokrovsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to push his narrative of success. During a visit to a military hospital in Moscow, Putin claimed that Pokrovsk and Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast were both encircled. He even offered to pause hostilities for a few hours to allow journalists to visit and “confirm for themselves the state that these surrounded forces are in.” Ukrainian commanders and open-source intelligence have consistently refuted these claims, insisting that while the situation is dynamic and deteriorating, full encirclement has not yet occurred.
Pokrovsk’s strategic significance cannot be overstated. As a major road and rail hub in Donetsk, its capture would open the way for Russian forces to advance further north toward Kramatorsk and Slovyansk—key objectives in Moscow’s long-standing campaign to dominate the mineral-rich Donbas region. The city’s fate will likely shape the next phase of the war in eastern Ukraine, with both sides pouring in resources and reinforcements in a bid to tip the balance.
On the night of October 29 to 30, Russian forces unleashed more than 650 drones and about 50 missiles across Ukraine, targeting not just military positions but also energy infrastructure and residential neighborhoods. These attacks, the largest in scale so far, underscore the relentless nature of the conflict and the mounting toll on Ukrainian cities and civilians.
The coming weeks will be decisive for Pokrovsk. As Ukrainian forces dig in and Russian troops press their advantage, the city stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of war—and of the strategic battles that will determine Ukraine’s future.
