Russia has stepped up offensive operations in eastern Ukraine, and the situation around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk oblast has significantly deteriorated over the past few weeks. This was reported by the Financial Times.
The article notes that small groups of russian units have begun slipping through thinly manned Ukrainian defensive structures and entering the city.
“The shortage of manpower in Ukraine’s frontline brigades has made it easier for russian forces to identify and exploit gaps in the defense”, - writes FT.
According to combat observation groups, the presence of russian units south of the railway tracks that divide Pokrovsk in half has been confirmed. The main offensive efforts of the russian army, as before, remain focused on the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad agglomeration.
According to FT, vladimir putin has tasked the military command with establishing control over Pokrovsk by mid-November 2025.
As reported earlier, urban battles are ongoing in Pokrovsk with groups of occupiers who have infiltrated various parts of the city.