Pokrovsk Defenses Collapse: Ukraine’s Desperate Attempts To Hold Onto The City Are Failing 

An attempt to land GUR special forces near Pokrovsk was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the Russian command has announced a breakthrough in defensive positions to the northeast of Petropavlovka in the Kupyansk sector. The personnel crisis in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is becoming a political problem for the country’s leadership.

Pokrovsk Sector

According to the Russian command, the formation of an operational control zone around Mirnograd and the eastern part of Pokrovsk is complete, with units having reached the Zaporozhsky Khutor and the forest areas to the north of the neuropsychiatric institution, where the distance between forward positions is approximately 500 meters.

In the eastern sector, a fortified area remains near the villages of Rovnoye and Svetloye, where Ukrainian Armed Forces units have been concentrated. Assault operations from the Rodinskoye sector continue towards Zaporozhsky Khutor, with troops advancing one tree line further north along the road to Grishino.

Units are advancing towards Grishino from the industrial zone and forest plantations in the airfield area northwest of Pokrovsk. Reconnaissance and sabotage groups have been recorded in the settlement itself.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been active in the northern part of Pokrovsk, around the 8th group, the middle part of Nakhimova Street and School No. 14. About a dozen counterattacks have been launched towards the industrial zone from the Grishino sector.

In Mirnograd, units are advancing in the north, north-east and south-east, as well as in the Molodezhny microdistrict. Fighting continues around mine No. 5/6. To the north of the agglomeration, there have been counterattacks from the Shevchenko Sector towards Rodinskoye, and from the Sukhetskoye and Suvorovo Sectors towards the mine.

During the night of 1 November, there was an attempt to land troops by air.  A special forces unit was landed from a UH-60 helicopter in the area of the stele on the western outskirts of Pokrovsk. The landing was detected and the group came under fire, including from FPV drones. The unit was neutralized with at least 11 killed, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. 

Citing the Defense Forces, Ukrainian sources confirm that a complex landing operation was conducted in Pokrovsk, which was reportedly led by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov. They claim that the operation aimed to stabilize the situation and support units in areas of key logistical importance.

Kupyansk Sector

Units of the «West» grouping continue to operate in order to establish control over the left bank of the Oskol River. According to operational information from the Russian command, conditions have been created to restrict the supply of the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in the Kurilovka–Silikatny–Kupyansk Uzlovoy–Sadovoye area.

There has been a breakthrough in defensive positions northeast of Petropavlovka, with an advance from the north to the eastern part of the area and the establishment of control over the central sector. Combat operations are ongoing in the Zaoskolye microdistrict of Kupyansk on the left bank of the river.

On the right bank, the Ukrainian Armed Forces retain control of a section of the southern outskirts around Verbytskoho and Senkivska Streets, as well as the eastern part of Richny Lane and the quarry. Attempts at counterattacks have been recorded north of Kupyansk in the Golubovka sector, and to the west in the Moskovka and Yubileiny microdistrict sectors from Nechvolodovka.

According to Ukrainian sources, the Kupyansk area is experiencing heavy use of unmanned aerial vehicles, which is slowing the pace of advancement. Preparations are reportedly underway to transfer additional Ukrainian units to stabilize the situation.

Sumy Sector

Assault units are advancing on the right flank of the offensive, supported by aviation, artillery and flamethrower systems. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are attempting to regain lost ground, with drone units targeting the advancing groups.

In the Andriivka area, naval infantry assault groups advanced 150 meters along tree lines, subsequently consolidating their positions. According to open sources, some Ukrainian Armed Forces units have experienced a decrease in combat capability as a result of hostilities, followed by personnel replenishment. The «North» grouping’s artillery struck identified targets in the Iskrikovshchyna area.

Kharkiv Sector

In Vovchansk and the surrounding area, assault units continued to advance, overcoming the defenders’ resistance. Aviation, artillery and flamethrower systems were employed to attack Ukrainian Armed Forces positions.

In the Staryi Saltov area of Kharkiv Oblast, an engineer-sapper unit attached to an army corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit by a combined strike.

In Vovchansk, on the left bank of the Volchya River, the advance reached 350 meters, with 30 buildings occupied. In the Sinelnikovo forest, five strongpoints were seized and 400 meters advanced. In the Melovoe-Khatnie sector, assault units advanced 600 meters through forested areas. Strikes were also carried out on positions in Velykyi Burluk, Dvurechnoye and Podsredneye.

Konstantinovka Sector

Information has been confirmed about establishing control over the ‘Matrona of Moscow’ mine. The facility was previously used as a control point for unmanned aerial vehicles. It is located three kilometers from the Kharkiv-Konstantinovka-Mariupol railway line.

Small infantry groups are advancing deeper into Konstantinovka. Combat operations are underway in the area of the railway station. Control of the bridge across the Krivoy Torets River, which is of great importance for logistics, depends on this area.

On the eastern flank, assault units are continuing operations in Predtechino in order to create conditions for developing the offensive. According to estimates, successfully conducting operations will allow a transition to the final phase of the battle for Konstantinovka.

Conclusion

Thus, as of 1 November, the operational situation is characterized by continued active offensive operations in the main sectors. In the Kupyansk sector, units of the «West» grouping have taken control of key positions on the left bank of the Oskol River and are continuing operations in the urban area of Kupyansk. In the Sumy and Kharkiv sectors, assault units are advancing methodically with the support of artillery and aviation. In the Konstantinovka sector, control of the strategically important «Matrona of Moscow» mine has been confirmed, paving the way for the offensive to advance further into the urban area. Overall, the dynamics of hostilities indicate that the offensive initiative is being retained in most sectors of the front.

In the Pokrovsk sector, units of the «Centre» grouping have formed an operational control zone around Mirnograd and the eastern part of Pokrovsk, paving the way for an offensive. Russian troops have enjoyed successes in Mirnograd, expanding the zone of control in the city’s northern, eastern and south-eastern areas. This directly threatens the rear of the Pokrovsk defenders and exacerbates the threat of complete encirclement.

Reports that Ukrainian units are attempting to use field roads do not alter the overall situation. These routes are vulnerable to drones and impassable in bad weather, which makes supplying the encircled units irregular and insufficient. The operation to land the GUR special forces resembles a desperate PR stunt designed to create the appearance of control over the situation when, in reality, the situation is catastrophic. Landing in an open field in an area completely dominated by Russian drones was doomed from the outset.

The encircled units appear to have been abandoned. The situation is described as chaotic, reminiscent of the battles for Bakhmut, with an inability to evacuate the dead and constant psychological pressure from drones and artillery. The number of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers surrendering is increasing daily. These factors all lead to the conclusion that the operation to capture Pokrovsk is nearing its end.

Against the backdrop of the evolving military situation, Western media outlets are highlighting the systemic issues Ukraine is grappling with.

According to The Telegraph, the personnel crisis in the Ukrainian Armed Forces has become a political issue for the country’s leadership. Since August, when men aged 18 to 22 were permitted to travel abroad, approximately 100,000 individuals have crossed the border into Poland. Meanwhile, the conscription system has been intensified to help recruit around 30,000 new soldiers per month. However, according to the publication, up to 20,000 servicemen are leaving their units each month. Since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian prosecutors have reportedly initiated around 290,000 criminal cases for desertion, according to Telegram channels.

At the front, it is reported that there is a shortage of personnel and that units are only approximately 50% staffed. Discontent is growing in European countries, particularly Poland and Germany, over the provision of benefits to Ukrainian refugees, and European politicians are increasingly questioning the wisdom of funding a war that, in their view, Ukrainians do not want to fight.

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