In the early hours of December 16, 2025, the ongoing battle for eastern Ukraine reached a fever pitch as Russian forces unleashed a massive drone assault and intensified ground operations around the embattled city of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian military officials, special operations units, and air defense forces scrambled to counter the multifaceted offensive, reporting both significant successes and stark challenges. The events of that night and the days surrounding it have come to symbolize the relentless tug-of-war for control in Donetsk region, where neither side appears willing to yield an inch.
According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian forces launched a barrage of 69 strike drones—primarily Shahed and Gerbera types—targeting the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. The launches originated from multiple locations: Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Millerovo in Russia, as well as the Hvardiiske airfield in occupied Crimea. The overwhelming majority of these drones, about 40, were Shahed models, which have become a staple of Russia’s nocturnal air campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure and cities. The attack, as reported by Ukrainian authorities, was not just an act of destruction, but a calculated attempt to probe and exhaust Ukraine’s air defense systems, searching for vulnerabilities to exploit in future operations.
Despite the scale and sophistication of the assault, Ukrainian air defense forces managed to shoot down or suppress 57 of the 69 drones before they could reach their targets. Nevertheless, the remaining 10 drones struck at seven separate locations, underscoring the large-scale and dispersed nature of the offensive. The Ukrainian military characterized the attack as part of a systematic effort by Russia to sap Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and morale, a tactic that has become all too familiar over the course of the war.
While the skies above Ukraine roared with the sounds of combat, the ground war around Pokrovsk was equally fierce. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported thwarting Russian attempts to consolidate along key railway lines in Pokrovsk, a move that could have given Moscow’s troops a critical launching pad for further advances. According to statements from the SSO, a Russian military group tried to occupy positions along the railway, hoping to establish new offensive footholds. But Ukrainian airstrikes destroyed several Russian soldiers and pieces of equipment before the 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment moved in for a direct assault, eliminating two more Russian soldiers who had taken refuge in bunkers.
“Despite heavy Russian artillery fire, our group successfully completed the task and prevented the enemy from securing the planned positions,” Ukrainian Special Operations Forces stated, as reported by Kyiv Post. The operation, they said, denied Moscow’s troops the chance to consolidate their forces in strategically important locations.
The fighting around Pokrovsk has been especially brutal in recent months. Victor Trehubov of the Joint Forces Group told RBC Ukraine that Ukrainian reinforcements had arrived in the Pokrovsk sector to bolster defenses. He noted that Russia had already committed its entire operational reserve—an airborne division consisting of three regiments—in an attempt to break through Ukrainian lines on multiple fronts. Despite these efforts, Ukrainian forces have continued to hold the northern part of Pokrovsk, while troops in the city center have effectively blocked further Russian advances.
Further details from the Ukrainian military revealed that the SSO also struck a BM-27 Uragan multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and its crew in the Donetsk region using domestically-produced FP-2 unmanned aerial vehicles. The BM-27 Uragan-1, capable of firing high-explosive and cluster munitions up to 35 kilometers, represents a significant threat, and its destruction was seen as a notable tactical victory. Drone footage released by the SSO showed the moments of impact, though independent verification of the footage’s timing and location was not immediately possible, as noted by Kyiv Post.
In addition to these operations, Ukrainian forces reported earlier strikes on December 14 against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea. SSO strike UAVs targeted a moving train carrying fuel and lubricants near the village of Yantarne, as well as an oil depot in Bitumne. There were also attacks on a Russian Volna-2 electronic warfare station near Maryanivka and a drone operator training center near Dokuchaievsk, all carried out with FP-2 UAVs.
The significance of Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad as defensive strongholds has not been lost on either side. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, emphasized in his statement that “the defense of Pokrovsk has been going on for 16 months. The Russians have announced at least six dates for taking control of the entire Donbas. They have not taken it.” He further clarified that Myrnohrad remains unencircled and that, while logistics are challenging, they continue to function. Syrsky estimated that Russia has concentrated some 156,000 troops in the Pokrovsk sector, making it the main theater of operations and the target for roughly half of all Russian guided aerial bombs used along the front.
Nevertheless, Ukrainian forces recently withdrew from positions 5-7 kilometers from Pokrovsk, acknowledging that those areas had become untenable due to Russian penetration. Russian troops have entrenched themselves in the southern parts of Pokrovsk, while Ukrainian control persists in the northern districts. The lack of a stable front line means that Ukrainian units are constantly clearing contested neighborhoods, often inflicting losses on Russian infantry as they attempt to advance across exposed terrain.
Despite Moscow’s claims—bolstered by staged videos and official pronouncements—that Pokrovsk has been fully captured, Ukrainian officials have dismissed these assertions as propaganda. “Russian claims of full capture of Pokrovsk are dismissed by Ukrainian forces as propaganda,” reported Kyiv Post. The battle for the city, it seems, is far from over.
As the war grinds on, both sides appear locked in a deadly stalemate, with Russia seeking to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses through relentless assaults by land and air, while Ukraine counters with a blend of determined resistance, precision strikes, and innovative use of drone technology. The events of December 16 serve as a stark reminder of the conflict’s complexity and the high stakes for all involved. For the residents of Pokrovsk and the surrounding regions, the struggle is not just strategic—it is existential, with every day bringing new dangers and new reasons to hope that the tide might yet turn.
