Operation in Kupyansk and “chaotic vinigrette of battles” in Pokrovsk: what is really happening in the east
6 November 2025 14:13
ANALYSIS 
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the operation to clean up the city of Kupyansk is underway. According to him, the specific dates for the completion of the operation have already been determined, but they are not yet disclosed.
The Head of State also reported on the situation in other frontline areas:
Pokrovsk. There are currently about 260-300 Russian troops in the city. This area accounts for approximately 30% of all hostilities along the front line, and Russia uses up to 50% of its guided aerial bombs there.
Dobropillia. The situation remains difficult, and the Ukrainian operation continues. Russian troops are amassing forces in preparation for possible revenge.
Liman direction. No significant changes, the situation is gradually stabilizing.
In addition, TSN correspondent Olha Kyrienko reported that Myrnohrad in Donetsk region is under operational encirclement, and logistics in the city area is extremely difficult.
Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko noted that the situation in Kostyantynivka may soon become similar to that in Pokrovsk, as small groups of Russian military are already entering the city.
What experts say
Pavlo Lakiychuk, military expert and head of security programs at the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”, explained in an exclusive commentary for "Komersant Ukrainian" why the situation in Pokrovsk cannot be called simple and what is behind the Russian plan of “encirclement”.
“To fully understand the situation, we need to look at the number of troops involved in this confrontation. Just imagine, in a big city with dense buildings, there is the Pokrovsk industrial zone. Here are our people, here are Russians, here are our drones, and next to them are Russians. I call all this a vinigrette,” the expert says.
According to Lakiychuk, there is practically no front line in Pokrovsk now – the city has turned into a zone of chaotic fighting, where both sides control individual neighborhoods.
“The State Department shows a gray zone. But this is not a gray zone in the classical sense – it is an area of concentration of forces of both sides,” the expert clarifies.
Russia plays on chaos, Ukraine responds with special forces
Lakiychuk explained that the main idea of the Russian military is to create chaos in the Ukrainian defense management system:
“The Russians’ plan is to break the defense management system through chaos, while maintaining control of their forces. When it breaks down, it is not clear how to proceed.”
That is why, according to the expert, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, is actively sending special forces to Pokrovsk – the GUR, the SBU, the National Police, and border guards:
“The special forces are trained for this format of fighting – to act in small groups, autonomously, in isolation from the main forces. This is a mirror response to the enemy’s tactics.”
Lakiychuk emphasizes that the common term “infiltration” of Russian forces through the defense line is incorrect:
“This is not infiltration, it is actually penetration into the rear, into the second line, to destabilize the situation. This is a new stage in the enemy’s tactics – it is more complicated than in Bakhmut or Avdiivka.”
Russian “false start” near Dobropillia
The expert said that the Russian army tried to cover Pokrovsk from the north and south, but the plan failed:
“They saw a weakness on our right flank and made a breakthrough to Dobropillia. It was a strategically strong but premature move. We moved our reserves there to eliminate this gap. It was a false start for the Russians.”
According to Lakiychuk, after the setback in the south, the enemy returned to Plan B – to push Ukrainian troops out of Pokrovsk.
“The best thing for them would be to surround and defeat our forces, but now they are just trying to push us out of the city,” he adds.
The threat from the east: Novopavlivka direction
Mr. Lakiychuk also drew attention to another low-profile but dangerous direction – Novopavlivka (or, in fact, Gulyaypillia):
“Over the past month, if you look at the statistics, the Russians have had the greatest success in this direction. The problem is that our defense lines there are oriented to the south, while the enemy attacks from the east.”
Pavlo Lakiychuk is convinced that the situation in Pokrovsk remains critically difficult, but not hopeless. The main task of the Ukrainian command is to preserve the integrity of the front and prevent Russia from implementing its encirclement scenario.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
