Ukrainian forces are clearing out central Pokrovsk from Russian soldiers, the Ukrainian military said on Nov. 23.
“Our positions in the city center are being maintained, fire fights are ongoing, but the enemy is not managing to fortify,” the Airborne Assault Forces wrote on Telegram. “The defense forces are containing the enemy and are conducting search and destroy actions to liquidate the Russians in Pokrovsk.”
According to the highly reputable DeepState mapping project, led by a Ukrainian team in close contact with commanders across the front line, Russian forces have continued to advance in central Pokrovsk over the past day.
Located in northwestern Donetsk Oblast, the city of Pokrovsk has been at the epicenter of much of the most intensive fighting along the Russian-Ukrainian line over the past year. Small Russian units, oftentimes lone individuals, have been infiltrating the city, sometimes dressed as civilians, the military has previously reported.
According to the Airborne Assault Forces, Ukraine has killed 388 Russian soldiers in the city and wounded another 87 since the beginning of November.
The Battle of Pokrovsk as of November 2025 (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
“In particular, in recent days, the Skala Separate Assault Battalion conducted a clearing operation from enemy presence in the area of the railway station, Pokrovsk Pedagogical College, and Sobornyi Square,” the post reads, referring to a famous assault unit in the Ukrainian military.
Also on Nov. 23, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces published footage of a series of successful attacks on Russian positions inside of the city.
With a pre-war population of just 60,000, Pokrovsk was hardly a metropolis, but it has become a key nexus of Ukraine’s military logistics. The potential loss of one of the best-fortified cities in Ukraine could give Russia some logistical benefit for future offensives as it continues to aim to capture the rest of Donetsk Oblast.
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