Defensive line breached: Hundreds of soldiers entered the city

The long-besieged city of Pokrovsk remains one of the most difficult areas of the front, where Russia is intensifying offensive operations and concentrating large numbers of troops around the city in an attempt to force Ukrainian forces to withdraw.

By infiltrating small infantry groups into Ukrainian positions, Russia has gathered around 200 soldiers in Pokrovsk, the General Staff reported. These troops are engaged in small-arms and drone skirmishes with Ukrainian forces inside the city.

Ukrainian counter-sabotage measures are currently preventing the Russian infiltrators from advancing and consolidating their positions in Pokrovsk, but fighting in the city remains “very dynamic and intense,” the military said. Ukrainian forces are reportedly trying to stabilize the situation through “comprehensive measures.”

Russian troops have previously penetrated Pokrovsk on a smaller scale. In July, Russian forces entered the southwestern part of the city during Moscow’s summer offensive, although Ukrainian troops repelled the incursion. Since then, small Russian sabotage and infantry groups have attempted to breach the city using a “total infiltration tactic,” though Ukraine reported repelling those attempts.

In October, a video appeared showing Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk killing several unarmed civilians. The killing took place near the railway line running through the center of the city. Less than a day after the video surfaced, Ukraine’s 7th Air Assault Corps confirmed a Russian breakthrough up to the railway, saying that a Russian reconnaissance and sabotage group had breached Ukrainian lines.

Russia has suffered heavy losses in the assault on Pokrovsk. The General Staff reported 1,756 Russian personnel losses and 75 pieces of destroyed equipment in just the last 10 days.