Russian Army (Again) Misses Latest Putin Deadline For Taking Pokrovsk

The Russian military has missed yet another Putin deadline for taking Pokrovsk. The most recent target date was reported as Saturday, November 15th or today, Monday, November 17th. Neither was achieved. Just like all the previous deadlines. 

After a surge of articles claiming that the Russians had Pokrovsk encircled, that Ukrainian troops in Myrnohrad were cut off and that the Ukrainians were about to withdraw, Ukrainian counterattacks north of the city, special operations assaults to keep logistics lines open, as well as the customary Russian overconfidence which led to several mechanized attacks being annihilated, Ukraine remains in control of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Kupiansk, with little to suggest that the situation is likely to change soon. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos and the Institute for the Study of War reports:

Reports indicated that Putin had given his army the deadline of November 15, 2025 (some said November 17) to take Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. The Russian command's approach is not following standard measures for completing an encirclement. Ukrainian counterattacks on the northern flank are disrupting Russian plans, and the 51st Army is facing challenges in advancing. Russia has reverted to infiltratimg Pokrovsk in small groups instead of mechanized assaults (due) to the failure of such assaults. The size of Russian infiltration groups has recently dropped from five to seven soldiers to three. The failure of mechanized assaults to bring (more) Russian forces into the town and the cost of infiltration constrains Russia's ability to reinforce troops in Pokrovsk, delaying Russian seizure of the town.

Dictators get on TV and make grand pronouncements of what is to be, as Vladimir Putin recently did in announcing that the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk in Ukraine have been completely encircled by Russian forces and will soon fall. He even vouchsafed that reporters can travel under Russian auspices to go see it for themselves.  Additionally, reports indicated that Putin had given his army the deadline of November 15, 2025 to take both cities. 

The Ancient Roman haruspex(soothsayer) Titus Vestricius Spurinna would likely be quite amused as Ukraine has turned around Spurinna’s warning to another dictator, Julius Caesar … “beware the Ides of March”.  Well, Putin’s ides of November has come and gone … and both Pokrovsk and Kupiansk are still Ukraine. [Full disclosure on my taking literary license regarding the ides of November 2025.  It actually occurred on the 13th per the ancient Roman calendar]:

Zelenskyy: Russia has missed yet another deadline to capture Pokrovsk and Kupiansk

Russia has missed yet another deadline set by its leader, Vladimir Putin, for the capture of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated following a report by Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. 

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So what is an embattled frazzled army constantly subjected to dictatorial diktats to do?  Why, just forget about all that fancy-schmancy military nicety of “encirclement”  and go full-on gonzo to capture the one city which the dictator wants on his wampum belt … by hook or by crook … Pokrovsk.

ISW warns of changing priorities of the Russian army at the front

The American Institute for the Study of War concluded that the Russian invaders are currently focused on capturing Pokrovsk, rather than on efforts to surround the broader Ukrainian bridgehead in the Pokrovsk-Myrnograd agglomeration area. Russian forces are attempting to complete their encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Russian forces’ recent attempts to infiltrate Ukrainian lines north of Pokrovsk indicate that Russian forces are prioritizing efforts to complete the encirclement, aiming to physically sever Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) north of Pokrovsk that supply forces in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk). This assessment modifies ISW’s previous observation that Russian forces were apparently focusing on seizing the town of Pokrovsk rather than on completing the encirclement.[1] Geolocated footage published on November 16 indicates that Russian forces recently conducted a roughly fireteam-sized infiltration mission north of Pokrovsk.[2] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces conducted the infiltration mission northward from Pokrovsk itself.[3] ISW assesses that Ukrainian forces killed or wounded the Russian forces involved. It is unclear, therefore, if Russian forces retain positions in this area. The spokesperson of a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Pokrovsk direction reported on November 16 that Russian forces have reverted to conducting infiltrations into Pokrovsk in small infantry groups of two to three servicemembers instead of mechanized assaults, likely in reaction to the failure of such assaults.[4] A Ukrainian servicemember operating in the neighboring Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area told CNN on November 16 that the size of Russian infiltration groups has recently dropped from five to seven servicemembers to a maximum of three servicemembers.[5] A Ukrainian drone operator in the Pokrovsk direction told CNN that Russian forces’ infiltration tactics are predicated on the assumption that lone survivors of three-member infiltration groups can gain footholds, emphasizing the costly nature of such tactics. The failure of mechanized assaults to rapidly bring large numbers of Russian forces into the town and the costly nature of infiltration-based troop accumulation may constrain Russian forces’ ability to reinforce troops within Pokrovsk, delaying Russian forces’ seizure of the town.

Points of attention

• Ukrainian counterattacks on the northern flank are disrupting Russian plans, and the 51st Army is facing challenges in advancing from the northeast.
• The Russian military command's approach in the battlefield scenario is not following standard measures for completing the encirclement efficiently.

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