Russian forces have made new advances both in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, including inside the embattled city of Pokrovsk, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian military analysis group. The analysts reported Russian progress near Borivska Andriivka in Kharkiv Oblast, as well as around Karpivka and Kozatske in Donetsk Oblast, and within Pokrovsk itself.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence confirmed that special operations were continuing in Pokrovsk, with elite units working to prevent Russian troops from gaining fire control over vital logistics routes. Earlier, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi denied claims that Pokrovsk or Myrnohrad were encircled, stressing that Ukrainian forces, including those from the Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, and Defence Intelligence, were carrying out coordinated missions to push Russian units out.

Over recent days, Russian troops have intensified their push toward Pokrovsk, using small sabotage and reconnaissance teams to infiltrate Ukrainian lines. Poor weather and low visibility have limited drone activity, creating more favorable conditions for Russian movements. Ukrainian troops are struggling with personnel shortages and logistical difficulties that have persisted for months. Despite the mounting pressure, Russian forces have not fully consolidated control inside Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian units, including special forces, continue to operate. In nearby Myrnohrad, about 5 km to the east, Russian troops have reached the city’s outskirts and are attempting to move further inside from the eastern direction.

The renewed fighting around Pokrovsk follows months of shifting momentum. After a relatively static spring, Russian forces launched a large-scale offensive between July and August, breaking through Ukrainian defenses east of the city and pushing toward Dobropillya and Myrnohrad. During that period, Pokrovsk became one of the most intense battlegrounds in the Donetsk sector. Ukraine countered with redeployed elite units that managed to retake some positions, though Russia held onto several key areas northeast of the city.

In late August and early September, Russian forces pushed north of Hrodivka, moving to within roughly 10 km southeast of Pokrovsk. Additional armored formations were transferred from Sumy and Kherson to reinforce the Pokrovsk front. Ukrainian units managed to stabilize parts of the southern line near Mykholaivka and launched attacks toward Myrne, while Russian sabotage groups operated from nearby Zvirove and Leontovychy, carrying out multiple infiltration attempts.

By mid-September, Russian troops had fortified those staging areas, using them to mount fresh assaults toward Troyanda and Shakhtarsky on Pokrovsk’s southern approaches. In early October, Russian forces renewed their attacks in force, launching major assaults toward Dobropillya and Pokrovsk’s northeastern flank. Around 12 October, they initiated an operation to retake the elevated terrain southeast of Volodymyrivka, a tactically important area previously reclaimed by Ukraine. Advancing under cover of fog and rain, Russian mechanized columns seized tree lines and cleared the northern route to Novotoretske, compelling Ukrainian units to pull back.