Fighting in the fog: how Ukrainian forces are breaking the Russian offensive on Pokrovsk
17 November 2025 16:54
Pokrovsk is actually under heavy pressure from Russian troops. The city is surrounded on three sides, and the Ukrainian army is suffering significant losses, The Sunday Times reports. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed about 150,000 troops to the area of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky told The New York Post. Despite this, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold their positions and do not allow Russian infantry to gain a foothold in the city, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine notes.
According to the 7th Air Assault Corps, more than 300 Russian troops have broken through to Pokrovsk and are trying to advance to its northern outskirts. They took advantage of the unfavorable weather and entered from the south on light vehicles. Due to the dense fog, aerial reconnaissance is hampered, but the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to locate and eliminate enemy groups even in poor visibility.
Russian troops tried to use the weather conditions to improve their positions near Pokrovsk, but these attempts proved to be unsuccessful.
The fog significantly hinders the operation of FPV drones on both sides, but the Russian army continues to suffer huge losses in the Pokrovsk sector. All their plans to capture the city are destroyed by precise and coordinated strikes by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Massive losses of the Russian Federation, successes of Ukrainian defenders and “fanaticism” of the Russian command
Military expert and co-chairman of the Pravova Sprava civil initiative Dmitry Snegirev in an exclusive commentary for
According to the expert, the video that the Russians posted on the Internet, which shows their convoy entering Pokrovsk under the cover of fog, ended in disaster for the invaders.
“This column was broken, and this was confirmed by the Russian side itself. The propagandist Arutyunov said that there was a mountain of “two hundred” left of it. We are talking about the mass destruction of personnel,” Snegiryov noted.
The expert emphasizes that such losses reduce the intensity of the Russian army’s offensive. Another example of the Russians’ failure is the assault near Volodymyrivka. The occupants tried to advance in the fog, using more than ten armored vehicles.
“Ukrainian defenders defeated this enemy column as well. They destroyed nine units of heavy armored vehicles, two tanks and eliminated more than 60 occupants,” the expert said.
According to him, the Russians once again tried to “slip through on a whim” but were firmly rebuffed. Under the cover of bad weather, the enemy was amassing forces in the village of Zatyshok. However, units of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted a targeted drone strike. One of the buildings was occupied by soldiers of the 1st and 9th motorized rifle brigades of the Russian Federation.
“At the moment of maximum concentration of Russian forces, the building was struck by attack drones. The enemy’s losses amounted to dozens of killed,” elaborated Snegiryov.
Destroyed highway and disrupted logistics of the occupiers
Ukrainian forces also destroyed the road connecting Selydove with Pokrovsk, which was used by the occupiers to deploy equipment and manpower. The road was hit by an airstrike, after which the Defense Forces finished it off with other means of destruction. This significantly complicated the logistics of Russian units.
According to Snegiryov, the scale of Russian losses directly affects the situation near Pokrovsk. According to Dmitry Medvedev’s official statement, from the beginning of 2025 to November, 336 thousand people signed contracts with the Russian army. At the same time, according to British intelligence, Russia’s losses during this period reached 353,000. This means that the army is losing more people than it is able to recruit.
Monitoring of Russian social media shows massive complaints from the mobilized.
“People record videos saying that if a ‘contract’ was signed, it was done without their consent – under pressure from commanders. There is a principle there: either you sign it or you will be “zeroed out,” the expert explained.
This leads to an increase in desertions. The Russian side itself recognizes more than 70 thousand cases of desertion. According to Russian data, the average life of an “attack aircraft” is 12 days.
The Russian plan is manifesting itself, but the Ukrainian command is keeping the situation under control
Pavlo Lakiychuk, military expert, head of security programs at the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”, in a conversation with journalists
According to the expert, the situation in Pokrovsk remains tense, but the enemy’s behavior allows us to draw conclusions about its intentions.
“The situation in Pokrovsk is complicated, but in recent days the Russians’ plan is beginning to be revealed. Units of the Second Combined Arms Army have infiltrated into the southern part of Pokrovsk, where heavy urban fighting is taking place,” noted Lakiychuk.
He emphasizes that urban battles are a priori difficult for both sides:
“Our supporters in the south are actually operating in the enemy’s encirclement. But those Russian units that have infiltrated the city to the north are also surrounded.”
According to Mr. Lakiychuk, Russia’s actions in Pokrovsk have a clear logic.
“The Russians are trying to concentrate our forces on the defense of the city to the maximum in order to continue covering Pokrovsk from the south and southwest,” the expert explained.
He reminded that the main goal of the enemy over the past six months was to reach the Pokrovsk-Pavlohrad highway. Now, when there are fewer Ukrainian forces in this area, Russia is renewing its attempts.
Northern direction: the risk of covering the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration
The expert draws attention to the actions of the Russian 51st Army (formerly the 1st Corps of the “DPR”):
“They do not feel sorry for these forces. They saw a gap in our defense and rushed towards Dobropillia. It was a kind of false start,” says Lakiychuk.
According to him, Ukrainian brigades are now successfully “finishing off” the Dobropillia salient, while Russian units are suffering significant losses, including elite marine units.
“Russia is throwing its most powerful brigades there – the 155th from Vladivostok, the 40th from Kamchatka. They do not have enough forces, and the losses are very serious,” the expert adds.
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Ukraine’s strategy: exhausting the enemy
The Ukrainian strategy, the expert emphasizes, is to constantly reduce the offensive potential of the Russian Federation.
“Our task is to exhaust the enemy, to bring down its offensive capabilities,” says Lakiychuk.
He explains that any strategic offensive operation is based on a complex calculation of logistics, resources, and timing. And this is where the Russian operation failed.
“They had to spend the resources that were supposed to be used to build on their success on the first stage, which they never realized. Their offensive failed in six months,” the expert emphasizes.
Thus, the situation in the Pokrovske direction remains extremely dynamic, but the enemy’s key intentions are already clear. The Ukrainian defense forces are not only holding back the Russian offensive, but are gradually depriving the enemy of its offensive potential. Further developments will depend on the ability of the Russian Federation to maintain the pace of the attack and on the effectiveness of the Ukrainian command in maneuvering reserves.
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