Fighting around the eastern city of Pokrovsk has decreased, but Russian forces have not abandoned their goal of capturing it, Ukraine’s top military commander said Monday.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on national television that Pokrovsk is now a heavily fortified area and that Ukrainian troops continue to hold their positions despite repeated Russian attempts to break through.
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“There are a few places where the Russians managed to get through our defenses, but we know exactly where those are,” Syrskyi said. “Of course, we have Plan B and Plan C for all possible situations.”
He said the situation remains under control and that logistics routes into the city have been restored.
The 425th Assault Regiment, deployed to Pokrovsk, is “operating very effectively,” Syrsky added.
Russia has concentrated about 50,000 troops in the area and lost roughly 30,000 since October, according to the general.
Syrsky said commanders assess the battlefield situation three times a day and he urged Ukrainians not to panic.
“Pokrovsk is a fortress,” he said. “The situation is difficult but stable.”
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say the pace of Russia’s advance in the Pokrovsk sector has slowed but could intensify again in the coming days, possibly toward the nearby city of Myrnohrad.
Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions across the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area, where street battles and artillery exchanges remain fierce.
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Zelensky: Russia using Pokrovsk assault to pressure the West
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday, Nov. 7, that Moscow’s push for Pokrovsk is not only about battlefield gains but also about shaping a political message aimed at Ukraine’s Western partners.
Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv attended by Kyiv Post, Zelensky said Russia is trying to “promote the narrative that they can allegedly take Donbas” and use it to pressure the West into forcing Ukraine to surrender the region.
He said Russia’s assault is designed to influence sanctions policy and undermine international support for Kyiv.
“Russia is very afraid of strong US decisions, and with this story about Pokrovsk they want to show success on the battlefield,” Zelensky said.
The president said Ukrainian forces repelled 220 Russian assaults on Pokrovsk in just three days and that Moscow’s top priority now is to capture the city “as quickly as possible.”