Ukraine says its troops still holding out in Pokrovsk as Russia claims pincer is closing
KYIV: Ukraine’s top military commander said on Saturday (Nov 1) that its forces were still holding out in Pokrovsk, despite Russian claims that troops were encircling the eastern city in a long-awaited pincer movement.
“We are holding Pokrovsk,” Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Facebook. “A comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.”
Moscow has sought to capture Pokrovsk, known as the “gateway to Donetsk”, since mid-2024 as part of its push to seize full control of the Donetsk region, which it claims to have annexed. The city, once home to 70,000 people, has been largely destroyed after more than a year of fierce fighting.
POKROVSK REMAINS A FLASHPOINT
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its troops had killed 11 members of a Ukrainian special forces unit sent by helicopter to bolster defences inside the city. A Ukrainian military official denied the claim, saying the operation was “continuing.”
The ministry’s Zvezda outlet also released a video claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers surrendering, though Reuters could not verify the footage.
Ukraine’s military said the situation in Pokrovsk “remains difficult and dynamic” but that its troops had “improved their tactical position” in some city quarters.
According to open-source data compiled by Deepstate, Russian troops control a small southern section of Pokrovsk, while most of the city remains a contested “grey zone”.
Russia said its forces also repelled a Ukrainian breakout attempt from the nearby town of Hryshyne, northwest of the city, an area crucial for Ukrainian supply routes.
STRATEGIC BATTLE FOR DONBAS
Moscow says control of Pokrovsk and nearby Kostiantynivka would pave the way for an advance toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the two largest cities still under Ukrainian control in Donetsk.
Capturing Pokrovsk would mark Russia’s biggest territorial gain since taking Avdiivka in early 2024 after months of heavy losses.
Ukraine still holds about 10 per cent of the Donbas region, or roughly 5,000 sq km in western Donetsk, as both sides continue to fight along a 1,000km frontline that has remained largely stalemated.
