Ukrainian special forces and intelligence units battle fierce Russian assaults in Pokrovsk. Kyiv intensifies counterattacks near Dobropillya, reporting heavy Russian losses amid urban chaos.

 Nov. 4, 2025

Fierce fighting continues in Pokrovsk as Ukrainian special forces and intelligence units resist a massive Russian push. Amid chaos and urban combat, both sides have claimed gains, while Kyiv has reported heavy Russian losses.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky said on Monday evening, Nov. 3, that Ukrainian forces are intensifying pressure on the Dobropillya salient, preventing Russian troops from concentrating their main efforts in the Pokrovsk area.

“I continue to work in the Donetsk region, particularly in the area of responsibility of the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the AFU,” Syrsky wrote on Facebook.

He said he had received reports from local commanders on the situation and their urgent needs.

“We are increasing pressure on the Dobropillya salient. We continue to liberate and clear territories, which forces the enemy to disperse its forces and prevents it from concentrating its main efforts in the Pokrovsk area,” Syrsky stated.

According to him, assault units in the Dobropillya salient have advanced in several directions over the past day.

“In total, 188 square kilometers [73 square miles] were liberated during the operation, and 248.7 square kilometers [96 square miles] were cleared of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups,” he added, noting that Ukrainian forces are being reinforced with additional personnel, weapons, equipment, and unmanned systems.

During a press meeting on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was unaware of any special operation by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) in Pokrovsk, despite reports circulating over the weekend.

“I do not know about the HUR special operation, to be honest,” Zelensky said. “We have special forces that the General Staff and the Armed Forces use in different operations. HUR personnel help the Armed Forces. There may have been up to 30 people there.”

The president added that Russia has amassed around 170,000 troops in the Pokrovsk area and is attempting to deploy additional forces there.

On Tuesday morning, Nov. 4, HUR confirmed that its “Timur” special unit continues operating in one of Pokrovsk’s key areas for frontline logistics.

“Fierce battles are taking place with the Russian occupiers. After a successful landing operation, the HUR special forces, who occupied the designated lines, broke through the ground corridor and were joined by additional special forces,” the statement reads.

The photo accompanying the statement also features Kyrylo Budanov, head of HUR.

According to the intelligence agency, combat operations are ongoing to disrupt Russia’s attempts to expand its fire control over logistics routes in the area of HUR responsibility.

Combat missions in the sector are also being carried out by other special units of the HUR. However, for the safety of the personnel involved, the details of these operations are not being disclosed at this time.

“Coordinated work is ongoing with all components of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces,” the report adds.

In addition, HUR released a video more than two and a half minutes long, showing footage of combat operations by fighters from the “Timur Special Unit” in the city, where drone footage shows intense fighting and a devastated urban landscape. Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the time and location of the video.

Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Major and political scientist Andriy Tkachuk told Radio NV on Tuesday that Russian units infiltrating Pokrovsk are engaging in firefights with Ukrainian drone operator teams.

“This indicates that they are present across a large area of the city. But what’s important is that they are not concentrated throughout the entire city,” Tkachuk said.

“The Russians are constantly moving, as are our fighters. There’s such chaos there that it works for both sides – Russian troops can occupy one building for several hours and then move to another,” he added.

According to him, Russian forces have taken positions on the southern outskirts of the city, deploying their UAV operators to strike Ukrainian defense positions. Ukraine, in turn, is attempting to respond symmetrically.

At the same time, Tkachuk revealed that thanks to recent operations by HUR and other special forces supporting the Ukrainian military last week, Ukraine achieved several tactical successes. However, there have been no changes at the operational or strategic level.

“But the situation north of Pokrovsk – the fact that Rodynske is currently not under Russian control and that they are being held back there – gives us an opportunity. The city is not in full encirclement, which allows for certain maneuvering, defensive, and counterattack actions within the city itself,” he told Radio NV.

Russian forces appear to be operating with increasing confidence within the city, according to a Monday, Nov. 3 report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Geolocated footage published that day indicates Russian troops have advanced in southern Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk) and eastern Rodynske (north of Pokrovsk).

A Ukrainian officer reported that Russian forces are pushing farther into Pokrovsk, trying to set up observation posts and concentrate personnel in the town. The officer added that Russian troops are attempting to establish defensive positions in unspecified areas.

A source linked to Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian troops are now creating forward observation posts and drone operator positions as they “settle” into Pokrovsk. Russian military bloggers claimed on Nov. 2-3 that Russian soldiers are checking civilians’ documents in the city.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces continue defensive operations and counterattacks in the Pokrovsk direction. Geolocated footage from Nov. 3 suggests Ukrainian troops advanced in eastern Rodynske, where Russian sources had previously claimed control.

Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces said in a Facebook statement its troops “created opportunities” to resupply and reinforce units in the Pokrovsk direction, preventing further Russian advances in northern Pokrovsk and stopping them from cutting the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad highway.

ISW also reported that Ukrainian forces liberated parts of the Russian penetration near Dobropillya on Pokrovsk’s eastern flank. A Russian milblogger claimed Ukrainian troops recaptured Nove Shakhove (east of Dobropillya), suggesting Russian forces no longer hold territory north of Kucheriv Yar.

According to ISW, Ukraine’s counteroffensive actions near Dobropillya are likely complicating Russian attempts to encircle Ukrainian positions around Pokrovsk.

As per the previous Kyiv Post report, fighters from Ukraine’s Omega Special Forces Center of the National Guard said that Russian troops are suffering “gigantic losses” as they attempt to seize the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area.

The unit shared photos showing dozens of burned and dismembered bodies of Russian soldiers.

According to the National Guard, “almost all of them were eliminated by drones,” as Russian forces continue assaulting Ukrainian positions “simply with meat,” without any coherent tactics or strategy.

“When you see the enemy’s advancement on the maps, know what price the occupier pays for every square meter of Ukrainian land,” the National Guard added, tacitly acknowledging Russian advances while emphasizing the heavy losses Moscow has incurred.

Russian forces are reportedly storing the bodies of soldiers killed near Pokrovsk in a meat processing plant, according to the Atesh partisan movement.

The decision was allegedly made due to an “unprecedented influx of dead from Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad,” as the Russian morgue and logistics system “is completely paralyzed.” Kyiv Post cannot independently verify the report.

In August 2024, Zelensky reported that after the failure of Russia’s Kharkiv operation, Pokrovsk had become the Kremlin’s main target. Even then, Moscow concentrated its largest number of forces and resources on capturing the city.

By November 2024, around 40% of Pokrovsk had already been cut off from power due to constant strikes, and roughly 70% of residential buildings had been destroyed.

For more than a year, the Russian army has attempted to advance toward the city.

In August 2025, Zelensky said that Russia had amassed its largest troop grouping in the Pokrovsk direction – about 100,000 soldiers.

On Oct. 16, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that “stabilization measures” were underway in Pokrovsk, which effectively confirmed that Russian forces had penetrated the city. The following day, Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Troops reported that Russian soldiers were shooting civilians in Pokrovsk.

By the end of October, according to the paratroopers, urban combat was taking place within the city, while Russian forces maintained fire control over key logistical routes. As a result, the delivery of food, ammunition, and reinforcements – as well as the withdrawal of troops – became extremely difficult.

On Oct. 30, Zelensky said that while Russian drones were controlling logistics routes, Ukraine’s Defense Forces were doing the same. Around that time, AFU’s Chief Syrsky and Head of the HUR Kyrylo Budanov arrived to reinforce Ukrainian positions in the Pokrovsk area.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63612