Donbas battles

New war phase begins near Pokrovsk: much harder and scarier, but no major 'pocket' in sight — Dykyi

Pokrovsk has become a symbol of a new war phase in which Russians have lost at least 12,000 — possibly 14,000 — killed alone, The Telegraph reported on Dec. 6.

8 December 2025, 03:44 PM

Russian troops advance near three Donetsk Oblast settlements

Russian troops advanced near Yampil, Siversk, and Vyimka in Donetsk Oblast, the Deep State analytical project reported on Telegram on Dec. 5.

5 December 2025, 02:51 PM

Putin vows to seize all of Donbas and 'Novorossiya' either way

Moscow will "in any case" occupy "Donbas and Novorossiya" — either by military means or "otherwise," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with India Today on Dec. 4, amid U.S. peace proposals, according to Russian state media.

4 December 2025, 12:14 PM

Ukraine rejects Bild's claim of full Pokrovsk loss

Ukrainian troops continue defending Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, and Bild's reports claiming the city is fully captured does not correspond to reality, Eastern Troop Grouping spokesman Hryhoriy Shapoval told public broadcaster Suspilne on Dec. 3.

3 December 2025, 06:54 PM

Third Corps debunks Russia's claims of 'breakthrough' in Lyman

Information from Russia's military command about a "breakthrough" by its forces into Lyman in Donetsk Oblast does not correspond to reality, the Third Army Corps of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Telegram on Dec. 3.

3 December 2025, 04:42 PM

Russian troops seize most of Pokrovsk despite Ukrainian counteractions

Russian forces now control the majority of the Donetsk Oblast city of Pokrovsk, with the front line barely reaching its northern outskirts, news agency Ukrainska Pravda reported on Nov. 25.

25 November 2025, 06:16 PM

Ukrainian defenders retake control in Myrnohrad after Russian flag stunt

The city of Myrnohrad remains under Ukrainian military control despite Russian attempts to infiltrate the settlement and raise their flag at a coal mine, Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps reported on Telegram on Nov. 14.

14 November 2025, 04:53 PM

Russians ramp up Pokrovsk assaults, seeking high-rise holds

Russian invasion forces are intensifying assaults on Ukrainian positions in the Pokrovsk agglomeration and attempting to entrench in the city's high-rises, the 7th Air Assault Corps reported on Nov. 10, noting a 20% surge in attacks last week.

10 November 2025, 07:40 PM

Russian forces advance near Pokrovsk and three villages

Russian invasion forces advanced near four settlements in Ukraine's Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, including on the outskirts of the strategic city of Pokrovsk, according to an updated map from the DeepState monitoring project on Nov. 10.

10 November 2025, 06:50 PM

Russia ramps up strikes to sever rail to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk

Russia targets Ukraine’s rear rail hubs to cut supply lines to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, and pressure front-line defenses, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Nov. 6.

7 November 2025, 09:42 AM

No encirclement in Pokrovsk, ongoing strike-and-search operations – General Staff

Ukraine's Defense Forces continue strike-and-search operations in Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, and there is no encirclement of Ukrainian units or formations, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Telegram on Nov. 5.

5 November 2025, 05:40 PM

Russian gains in Pokrovsk after 21 months may not repeat on other fronts

Current Russian advances in Pokrovsk represent the culmination of a 21-month campaign to capture the city — that is how long it took the aggressor to advance 39 kilometers from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk, analysts from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War conclude in their Nov. 4 report.

5 November 2025, 12:55 PM

50-50 odds for clearing Pokrovsk, military expert says

Battles in Pokrovsk are "extremely tough" with mutual infiltration complicating efforts, but Ukrainian special forces have boosted defenses and aim to exhaust Russian troops and secure evacuation routes, with full clearance odds at 50-50, expert Dmytro Zhmailo told Radio NV on Nov. 3.

4 November 2025, 04:45 PM

Russia recruits teens from jails for Myrnohrad push

Russia's 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, currently positioned near Myrnohrad in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, recently received reinforcements of several dozen new recruits. Most are former inmates who have just turned 18, NV’s sources in Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Nov. 3.

3 November 2025, 07:07 PM

Ukraine's special forces report 'huge' Russian losses

Russian invasion forces are suffering massive personnel losses as they try to fulfill military leadership orders to achieve gains in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration at any cost, fighters from the Peaky Blinders — the 2nd Separate Detachment of the Omega Special Purpose Center of Ukraine's National Guard reported on Nov. 2.

2 November 2025, 07:25 PM

Russian forces intensify offensive operations near Pokrovsk

Russian forces have ramped up assault operations near Pokrovsk and its outskirts, aiming to fully capture the city. Geolocated footage released on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 shows that the Russians recently advanced in the central and southeastern parts of Pokrovsk, according to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War's (ISW) latest assessment for Nov. 1.

2 November 2025, 03:19 PM

Ukrainian defenders destroy Russian flag in Pokrovsk - video

Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian tricolor flag that the enemy troops had raised at the entrance to Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast within an hour of its detection, the DeepState monitoring group reported on Oct. 29.

29 October 2025, 03:18 PM

Ukraine retakes some Donbas positions as Russia advances

Ukrainian Defense Forces pushed Russian troops out of two Donetsk Oblast settlements while Russia advanced near Zvirove and Stepova Novoselivka in the Pokrovsk and Kupyansk sectors, the DeepState monitoring project reported on Telegram on Oct. 28.

28 October 2025, 03:41 PM

Putin fails own deadline, as Russia unable to capture Donbas — Zelenskyy

Russia failed its own expectations to occupy all of Donbas by Oct. 15 — a deadline Russian dictator Vladimir Putin bragged about in contacts with allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an Axios interview.

27 October 2025, 03:30 PM

Expert on alarming situation in Donetsk Oblast ahead of winter

Military analyst Denys Popovych discussed on Radio NV on Oct. 22 the situation around Pokrovsk and the Russian military’s intentions to capture major cities in Donetsk Oblast to "avoid meeting winter in the fields."

22 October 2025, 05:30 PM

Donbas battles

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