Russian Forces Campaign Intensifies in Strategic Ukrainian Town of Pokrovsk

Thu Oct 30 2025 18:06:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Russian troops strengthen their presence in Pokrovsk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reveals the severity of the conflict, emphasizing the challenges faced and the urgent need for international support.

The situation in Pokrovsk has escalated as Russian forces manage to establish a foothold, significantly outnumbering Ukrainian defenders. President Zelensky highlights the strategic importance of the town and the pressing need for continued financial and military aid from allies amidst the ongoing conflict.

Russian troops are making a concerted push in eastern Ukraine and have gained a foothold in the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

Moscow's soldiers outnumber Kyiv's 8-1 in the area, and Ukraine cannot match that, Zelensky added while insisting Russia had not yet achieved the planned result.

Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for two years. The key supply and transport hub provides supplies and reinforcements to the eastern front - and it would get Moscow closer to occupying the entirety of the Donetsk region.

It would also put towns of the heavily fortified fortress belt - Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Kostyantynivka, and Druzhkivka - within easier reach of Moscow.

Zelensky said drone imagery showed that around 200 Russian soldiers were inside Pokrovsk.

Describing the situation as difficult, he said earlier that there was widespread fierce fighting and sabotage groups had entered the town.

However, he rejected reports by Russia's Chief of General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, that Ukrainian troops had been completely surrounded.

In an update on Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry said its forces had encircled Ukrainian troops around the main railway station and cleared the city's Troyanda district of Ukrainian forces.

One soldier from Ukraine's 155th Brigade, Artem Pribylnov, rejected the notion that Ukrainian troops had been encircled in a cauldron at Pokrovsk.

He highlighted that the war has become more technological, complicating the situation on the battlefield.

According to Capt Hryhoriy Shapoval, spokesperson of Ukraine's East operational group, 79 attacks had been repelled near Pokrovsk since Monday - almost a third of the total 218 assaults recorded across the entire front line.

Kyiv’s defence capabilities are shrinking, with Zelensky indicating the necessity for ongoing financial assistance from European allies to sustain the prolonged conflict.

European leaders have yet to agree on reallocating €140 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, a critical measure under discussion amid this escalating crisis.

While both nations make extensive use of drone technology, conditions such as fog have complicated detection and response efforts.

As the conflict nears its fifth year, with Moscow currently occupying around 20% of Ukrainian territory, the urgency for strategic solutions and military support increases.