Situation in Pokrovsk: Ukrainian Troops Panic, Begin to Surrender

Ukrainian military personnel encircled in Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) have begun surrendering, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Photo: flickr.com by Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Armed Forces of Ukraine

The ministry released statements from prisoners, reports TASS. One of the captured soldiers, Vyacheslav Krevenko, stated that Ukrainian forces tried to organize a defense in the Pokrovsk area. He and his comrade surrendered.

Krasnoarmeysk (the Ukrainian name is Pokrovsk) serves as a key logistical hub for Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR). The city is located 66 km northwest of Donetsk, near the administrative border of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

Panic Among Ukrainian Troops

Ukrainian soldiers in Krasnoarmeysk are reportedly panicking, according to the Telegram channel "Operation Z: War Correspondents of Russian Spring". Ukrainian troops complain about constant shelling from Russian forces. Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reportedly strike Ukrainian positions every few minutes.

"Russian FPV drones strike the enemy one after another, targeting those trying to hide in urban areas," the publication states.

Russian Advances and Encirclement

War correspondent Yuriy Kotenok previously predicted that Krasnoarmeysk could fall under Russian control by November 2025. Chief of the General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov stated on October 26 that the “Center” group had completed the encirclement of Ukrainian forces near Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov. In the encirclement were 31 Ukrainian battalions, including units stationed near the Pokrovsk railway station. The Ministry of Defense reported ongoing clearing operations in the area.

Russian forces also intercepted a helicopter landing by a Ukrainian GUR special operations group in the Pokrovsk area. All 11 personnel deployed were killed.

Ukrainian Command Perspective

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky acknowledged that the situation in Pokrovsk is difficult. He noted that Russian forces have increased activity in the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd agglomeration and are concentrating infantry in urban areas. However, Syrsky maintains that Ukrainian forces are not fully blocked.