Ukraine's Defenders Turn Pokrovsk Into 'Graveyard of Russian Armor, Manpower'

Ukraine's Pokrovsk late-stage strategy has become clear: use special operations and assault units to hold open some roads so that exhausted units can withdraw while inflicting as many casualties and as much damage on the Russians as possible in order to further deplete the Russian reinforcements being sent forward. The few surviving, isolated Russian units around Dobropillia are being cleared out while mechanized attacks on Myrnohrad are decimated. The infamous - and unlucky - Russian 155th Naval Infantry has reportedly been rendered combat ineffective again, possibly for the 7th time since the 2022.

There are reports of roads towards Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad carpeted with Russian bodies and burning vehicles as reinforcement columns are literally stuck in the mud from the soaking autumn rains. While it is probable that Pokrovsk neither can nor should be held for long, as long as the calculus of destruction remains in Ukraine's favor, the Ukrainians will continue to extract an exorbitant price. JL

RFU News reports:

The Ukrainians are counterattacking in several directions to prevent the blocking of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. The Russian command is responding by throwing more forces forward, losing hundreds each day, as they have again overpromised the Kremlin the towns are about to fall. As the autumn mud season has arrived, Russian columns of armor and supply trucks bogged down in the soaked terrain while attempting to maneuver toward Dobropillia. One geolocated video shows a dirt road where corpses lie every ten to fifteen meters. More Russians lie dead scattered through the woods nearby. Russians surrendered en masse as loudspeakers mounted on FPV drones broadcast instructions. Every attempt by the Russians to reach Myrnohrad ends with destroyed vehicles and scattered troops.

From the Pokrovsk direction.

Here, the Ukrainians are conducting counterattacks in several directions to prevent the blocking of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad and to secure the roads leading to the towns. 

The Russian command is responding by reallocating and throwing more forces forward, losing hundreds each day, as the officers have again overpromised the political leadership that the towns are about to fall. Their timing could not have been worse, as the autumn mud season has arrived. Several Russian columns, including armored vehicles and supply trucks, became bogged down in the soaked terrain while attempting to maneuver toward Dobropillia.

In one incident, five armored vehicles advanced into the area to reinforce the collapsing front, but three of them got stuck in the mud, forcing their crews to abandon the vehicles and wade through flooded ditches. 

Precision strikes with HIMARS rockets obliterated the convoy, while Ukrainian FPV drones and hexacopters finished off the remaining vehicles by dropping high-explosive charges directly onto their hulls.

Fierce fighting around Rodynske

The fiercest fighting continues around Rodynske, where Ukrainian assault and air-assault units are working to widen the bottleneck and keep supply routes open for ammunition, reinforcements, and medical evacuation.

Russian infiltration groups have been attempting to slip into Rodynske daily, forcing constant combat both inside the settlement and across the surrounding fields. Despite multiple Russian claims of having taken the town, drone footage from Russian sources themselves disproves these by showing heavy shelling and smoke rising over Ukrainian-held positions. 

The Ukrainians remain in control of Rodynske, countering assaults with devastating precision drone strikes.

Brutal fighting leaves Russian casualties scattered across the landscape

The Ukrainian forces are now pushing north of Nykanorivka and south through Zatyshok, supporting the wider de-blockading operations around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. A week of brutal fighting has left Zatyshok and the neighboring villages littered with Russian bodies.

One geolocated video shows a single dirt road where corpses lie every ten to fifteen meters, clear proof of the devastating effectiveness of Ukrainian artillery, drones, and ambush tactics. 

Even more Russians lie dead scattered through the woods nearby, where they were caught trying to retreat or dig in. Realizing their situation was hopeless, many Russian soldiers began surrendering en masse.

Drone-mounted loudspeakers broadcast surrender instructions

Ukrainian drone operators adapted their tactics by mounting loudspeakers on FPV drones, flying low over Russian trenches, and broadcasting surrender instructions. 

 

Special operations behind enemy lines

Behind Russian lines, Ukrainian special operations forces have been conducting sabotage and reconnaissance missions to disrupt logistics and command networks. 

One such operation saw Ukrainian operators infiltrate the enemy's rear, eliminate three Russian soldiers, and seize valuable communications equipment, documents, and navigation systems. This intelligence immediately strengthened situational awareness for the frontline units.

Ukrainian reinforcements secure critical roads

The 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces reported to have succeeded in reinforcing their sector with new personnel and equipment, while clearing operations continue across the north of Rodynske. 

Thanks to close coordination between units, they prevented the enemy from cutting the Pokrovsk-Rodynske road, eliminating dozens of Russian soldiers attempting to push north. Drone footage confirms at least twenty Russians in just several square meters destroyed by FPV drones while advancing through Ukrainian fortifications.

House-to-house fighting in Novoekonomichne

Meanwhile, to the east, the Russians continue pressing through Novoekonomichne, which remains a grey-zone battlefield. Russian forces control only a handful of street blocks on the eastern edge of the settlement. 

Ukrainian paratroopers are fighting house to house, relying on close-quarters tactics to repel infiltrations. A geolocated video shows a Ukrainian soldier cautiously approaching a house sheltering Russian troops, before destroying them with an RPG-7 shot.

Coordinated drone strikes hunt Russian convoys

Ukrainian reconnaissance teams, working in tandem with FPV drones, have developed a rhythm of hunting enemy convoys. Once a Russian vehicle is immobilized, whether by a mine or a drone strike, Ukrainian operators immediately target the dismounted infantry with drone-dropped munitions, ensuring they cannot entrench or establish new firing positions.

 

Every attempt by the Russians to reach Myrnohrad ends the same way: destroyed vehicles, scattered troops, and another line of burnt wreckage marking their advance.

Russian forces concentrate on Pokrovsk axis

These Ukrainian counterattacks are existential, as the Russians are concentrating the bulk of their manpower and resources on this sector, attempting to crush the defenders by sheer numbers. 

Both Ukrainian and Russian sources confirm that the Russian command has reduced the intensity of fighting in other directions, redeploying forces to focus entirely on the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad axis.

Wave tactics lead to catastrophic Russian losses

Ukrainian commanders describe how Russian assault groups probe Ukrainian defenses, searching for gaps to exploit, while sending waves of poorly trained conscripts ahead as bait to draw out Ukrainian drone and artillery fire. 

Once positions are revealed, trained Russian assault infantry follow in close combat. This pattern, repeated endlessly, leads to catastrophic Russian losses but still keeps pressure on Ukrainian units.

The 155th Russian Naval Infantry Brigade has reportedly been rendered combat ineffective again after losing most of its personnel. Elements of the 108th Motorized Rifle Regiment and 68th Tank Regiment have been rushed in to maintain the pace of attacks, a desperate measure that highlights Russia's obsession with capturing Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian defense holds despite pressure

Overall, despite the enormous pressure, Ukraine's defense of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad is holding. While the situation is not stabilized, each day, hundreds of Russians die around them as more reinforcements arrive to be the slaughter. 

The Ukrainian command acknowledges the situation is difficult, while Russian generals celebrate imaginary advances and send exaggerated reports to Moscow. 

The battle for Pokrovsk is far from over, as Ukrainian defenders are turning the so-called encirclement into a graveyard for Russian armor and manpower.