Russian forces are advancing in the south, destabilizing Ukrainian garrisons in Pokrovsk and Mirnohrad

The Ukrainian special unit carried out the evacuation operation, while the Russian strategy remains successful

The siege of Pokrovsko is coming to an end, and at the same time the three-month battle for the pocket near Dobropolje, north of the city, is coming to an end. It may not be a coincidence.

The Russian penetration north of Pokrovsk in August, which threatened logistics towards Dobropolje by marching through porous Ukrainian lines, may have been part of a complex plan by the Kremlin aimed at distracting key Ukrainian reinforcements from the defense of Pokrovsk itself, writes analyst David Ax for"Euromaidan Press".

Military theorist Delvin suggests that Russian commanders may have considered the Dobropolje pocket"an axis for holding Ukrainian reserves". That tactic works by threatening a secondary objective to tie up enemy reserves and prevent them from being sent to defend the primary objective. According to that theory, the Russians may have committed just enough forces, primarily from five naval brigades and regiments, to keep 1st Corps Azov busy and out of the key battle for Pokrovsk.

Delvin's theory makes sense and serves as an important warning to Ukrainian commanders as garrisons withdraw from Pokrovsk and neighboring Mirnograd, and the campaign for Donetsk region is entering a new, uncertain phase. The warning is simple: expect deception and diversion.

Russian breakthrough towards Dobropolje

In early August, the Russian 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade took advantage of gaps in the insufficiently manned Ukrainian lines north of Pokrovsk and quickly advanced 15 kilometers towards the village of Dobropolje. The primary objective was to establish control over the village and bombard it with drones and artillery.

The reason was strategic, one of the two main supply lines for Pokrovsk passed right through Dobropolje. Breaking that line could hasten the collapse of the two Ukrainian brigades defending the city.

However, the Ukrainians reacted quickly. They deployed the 1st Azov Corps with several well-equipped brigades to the battlefield. They squeezed a Russian pocket of 40 square kilometers on both sides, forcing the Russian forces to withdraw from the village of Dobropolje itself and surrounding them in at least two groups, one of which was in the village of Kucheriv Yar.

At the same time, the Ukrainian 225th Assault Regiment and the 33rd Mechanized Brigade established a strong defense in the village of Shakhove, which secured the southeast corner of the pocket. The defenders of Shahov repulsed a series of Russian mechanized attacks, thereby preventing heavier Russian reinforcements from entering the pocket.

The Fall of Pokrovskoye

In late October, as the Ukrainian 132nd Reconnaissance Battalion liberated Kucheriv Yar and eliminated about half of the pocket, the swing north of Pokrovsk was on the Ukrainian side. However, further south, in Pokrovsk itself, the situation was completely different, the Russians were advancing there.

Although the Russian forces failed to capture Dobropolje, they managed to put pressure on the supply lines towards Pokrovsk and Mirnohrad by bringing their drone teams closer to the front line. Russian infiltrators crept into Pokrovsk from the south, suffering huge losses, but managing to gradually accumulate enough forces inside the city to destabilize the increasingly small and poorly armed Ukrainian garrison.

When Ukrainian Special Forces Timur carried out a daring helicopter landing on Pokrovsk on October 29, it was not a sign of victory. Quite the opposite – the commandos were part of a wider operation to hold some key positions in the northern part of the city and secure a way for the surviving defenders to evacuate.

"The battle for the city is coming to an end", observer Torquill concluded on Wednesday.

The success of the Russian strategy

We may never know how much longer Pokrovsk would have held out if the 1st Azov Corps had not been occupied with the long-lasting battle at Dobropolje, writes Aks. But it is certain that the Russian strategy was helped by the fact that this elite unit never fought in the city itself.

The obvious Russian plan succeeded. And maybe it would have been more successful if the mechanized columns had managed to break through the defense at Shahove and strengthen the pocket. A tougher battle for the pocket could have attracted even more Ukrainian units, further weakening the defenses of Pokrovsk and Mirnohrad."In general, the Russian commanders in charge of the operation cannot be praised too much," wrote Delvin,"because they could have made additional use of it."

Key events of the operation

• In early August 2025, the Russian 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade advances 15 km towards Dobropolje, exploiting holes in Ukrainian defenses.
• In mid-August, the Ukrainian 1st Azov Corps is deployed to suppress the created pocket and encircle Russian forces.
• On September 15, Ukrainian forces liberate Pankivka, while Russia brings in four infantry brigades and one naval regiment as reinforcements.
• At the end of October, the Ukrainian 132nd Reconnaissance Battalion liberates Kucheriv Yar, eliminating approximately half of the pocket.
• On October 29, a helicopter landing of the Timur special unit in Pokrovsk supports the Ukrainian retreat, not a counterattack.