Russian units are expanding their control over the territory around Pokrovsk. The destruction of a bridge between settlements poses an encirclement threat to Ukrainian garrisons in Vladimirovka and Pankovka. Logistics in Krasny Liman are under threat. Russian forces now control the settlement of Fedorovka in the Seversk area.
Kharkiv Direction:
In the Volchansk area, Russian units are conducting assault operations in the western part of the city. Fighting continues near the Volchansk oil extraction plant and railway station. The control zone on the left bank of the Volchya River has expanded, with advances of up to 300 meters in some sectors.
The Ukrainian command has confirmed that the tense situation in Volchansk persists, noting that their units continue to hold defensive positions. The use of artillery to contain offensive actions has been reported.
Donetsk Direction:
On the Pokrovsk axis, units of the «Centre» grouping are engaged in intense fighting for control of the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd agglomeration. In Pokrovsk, Russian forces control most of Zashchitnikov Ukrainy Street and the surrounding southern areas. There have been particularly fierce clashes in the western part of the city, near the railway tracks and a heavily fortified industrial zone located at the city’s entrance from Pavlograd.
As of 4 October, Russian units had reached the railway tracks in two locations to the west of the city, attempting to dislodge Ukrainian forces from strongpoints near the western outskirts of Pokrovsk. These maneuvers enable strikes on the flanks and rear of the defending forces and create conditions for assault groups to reach the M-30 highway (less than 1 km west of Pokrovsk) and the supply road from Grishino (approximately 2.5 km away).
A significant achievement for the Russian forces has been their advance along the railway in the west from Zashchitnikov Ukrainy Street towards the railway station, covering approximately 600 meters. Bloody close-quarters combat continues in the city center. In the south-eastern part of the city, Russian units have occupied the «Yuzhny» garage complexes and are fighting in the Yuzhny, Lazurny, Shakhtyorsky and Solnechny microdistricts.
Near Mirnograd, Russian forces are engaged in fierce fighting on the northern, southern and eastern outskirts as they advance towards the city and the highway from Rodinskoye. In Rodinskoye itself, assault groups have occupied most of the southern part of the settlement, advancing 500 meters, while fighting continues in the center, east and northeast. North of Rodinskoye, Russian units are advancing towards Grishino.
Druzhkovka Direction:
On the Druzhkovka axis, units of the «Centre» grouping are continuing to repel counterattacks and develop offensives in the Dobropolye salient area, which is located southeast of Nikanorovka. In recent days, Russian forces have regained control of the southern part of Novotoretskoye and advanced towards the Ukrainian forces’ concentration areas north of Fedorovka, thereby narrowing the operational «corridor» towards Boikovka and Novotoretskoye.
North of Novotoretskoye, Russian units have expanded the bridgehead between Mayak and Pankovka, to the south of a major strongpoint. According to Russian command, a significant achievement was the successful crossing of the Kazyonny Torets River north of Pankovka and consolidation on the northern outskirts of Vladimirovka. Russian aviation destroyed the bridge between Oktyabrsky (Shakhovo) and Vladimirovka, posing a real threat of encirclement to Ukrainian garrisons in Vladimirovka and Pankovka.
In the Shakhovo area, Russian assault groups entered the western part of the settlement and advanced towards positions to the west, thereby surrounding Ukrainian forces in wooded areas to the west of Pankovka. North of Shakhovo, Russian units advanced over 3 km along the road to Gruzskoye from the area of the refractory ore mines, creating a threat of encirclement to the east of Kucherov Yar.
Meanwhile, to the east, Russian troops are continuing to put pressure on Oktyabrsky (Shakhovo) and Artemovka (Sofiyevka), attacking towards Novopavlovka and threatening to cut off the last logistical route north of Artemovka. Close-quarters fighting continues on the northern face of the Dobropolye salient in Zolotoy Kolodez and northward along the road towards Petrovka.
In the direction of Dobropolye, intense close-quarters combat continues towards Rubezhnoye and Kutuzovka in Volnoye, Novy Donbass, Rozy Luxemburg (Novoye Shakhovo) and Shakhovo. Russian forces are regaining control in Dorozhnoye, with the most intense clashes occurring south of Nikanorovka.
Zaporizhzhia Direction:
Russian units are continuing their assault operations in Novogrigorovka and the eastern part of Poltavka. There has been an expansion of the control zone north of Olgovskoye.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are attempting counterattacks in the Sosnovka and Verbovoye areas. According to reports from both sides, the fighting involves close-quarters combat with mixed results. Russian sources emphasize their advantages in terms of artillery and air support, while Ukrainian sources highlight the effective use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Krasny Liman Direction:
Units of the «West» grouping are continuing to conduct successful offensive operations. North of the S051021 road, Russian troops have dislodged Ukrainian units from a forested area and are advancing towards Stavki. To the west, close-quarters combat continues to the west of Sredneye and Shandrigolovo.
Russian forces have consolidated their positions in the north and southeast of Novosyolovka, advancing through forested areas towards the railway and automobile roads to the southeast of Yarovaya. This advance is of critical importance for Ukrainian unit logistics in both Drobyshevo, into whose northern part Russian units have also entered, and Krasny Liman.
If Russian units succeed in physically cutting these roads, the northern supply route for the garrison in Krasny Liman will become inaccessible. Only the southern route from Slavyansk remains, and this is already being targeted by Russian long-range strike assets.
In the southeastern part of Krasny Liman, Russian forces are attacking from Kirovsk and the «Medovy» platform, as well as from Yampol, where intense close-quarters combat is ongoing. Russian units have dislodged Ukrainian forces from Mirny and positions to the south, thereby restoring the supply route from Yampolovka across the Zherebets River. An advance has also been noted from the northern part of Kirovsk (Zarechnoye) towards Stavki in the area of the S051021 road.
Seversk Direction:
Russian units have reported establishing control over the Fedorovka settlement. An advance of up to two kilometers has been noted on the southern approach to Seversk. On 3 October, the settlement of Vyemka came under Russian control following an advance of over one kilometer.
The Ukrainian command confirms the tense situation around Seversk, but characterizes it as stable. Reports indicate the preparation of additional defensive lines and the organization of fire control systems on the approaches to the city.
Conclusion:
Analysis of the operational situation on 4 October 2025 reveals several key trends. The Russian armed forces are maintaining the initiative on most fronts, advancing systematically in the urban environment of Pokrovsk and on the approaches to Seversk. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have demonstrated their ability to organize a stable defense and conduct local counterattacks.
The most significant successes were noted on the Seversk and Krasny Liman fronts, where the conditions for potential changes to the operational situation are being created. The Ukrainian armed forces continue to offer organized resistance, adapting their defensive tactics to the current situation. The use of mobile reserves and the systematic application of unmanned aerial vehicles are enabling advances to be contained in certain sectors of the front.
Combat operations generally retain features of positional warfare with elements of maneuver warfare in local areas. Neither side has yet achieved a decisive advantage capable of fundamentally altering the situation on the battlefield. The sustained intensity of combat operations indicates that both sides intend to continue active operations in the near term.
Against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities, discussions about Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction continue internationally. In an interview with Fakt, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that his country expects to benefit most from this process. According to the Polish diplomat, Poland will become a «base for Ukraine’s reconstruction» for international investors, thanks to its geographical proximity to Ukraine and its historical ties with the country. He also noted that Warsaw is already playing an active role in preparing future reconstruction projects and is involving the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland in this work.
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