Ukrainian forces are locked in intense fighting across the eastern Donetsk and southern Zaporizhia regions, as Russian troops increase pressure on the strategic towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Kyiv’s military leadership said the two towns have become the focus of almost half the battles along Ukraine’s 1,200km (745-mile) front line. Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii reported that Russia has deployed roughly 150,000 troops—nearly a quarter of its forces in Ukraine—to seize control of the area. Russia views Pokrovsk as a key route to the remaining parts of Donetsk region not yet under its control since declaring the area annexed in 2022. Fierce Urban Combat Fighting in Pokrovsk remains fluid and highly destructive. Ukrainian and Russian units trade control of streets and even individual buildings, according to soldiers speaking to Reuters.“One building is held by our side, the next by the enemy, and hours later it swaps,” said “Hus,” a drone squad commander with the 68th Jaeger Brigade. Russian forces captured the town centre earlier in November and are now pushing east and west. Ukrainian defenders continue to hold strong positions in the north of Pokrovsk. In nearby Myrnohrad, Russian troops have made limited gains in the town’s eastern and northern sections, but Ukraine still controls most of the area. Both towns remain vulnerable, with Russia attempting to encircle them from the north, south, and east, leaving only narrow routes open for Ukrainian resupply and evacuation. The Institute for the Study of War said the strategic value of these towns will depend on whether Ukraine can conduct an orderly withdrawal if required, and whether Russia can exploit any collapse in Ukrainian lines. Pressure Mounts in Zaporizhia To the southwest, Russia also stepped up its offensive around Huliaipole, straddling the boundary between Donetsk and Zaporizhia. Syrskii said the situation there had “significantly worsened,” with “exhausting battles” taking place for Rivnopillia and Yablukove. Geolocated footage indicates Ukrainian forces withdrew from Rivnopillia on Tuesday. Drone Warfare Intensifies Despite Russian advances, Ukrainian drone units continued to inflict significant losses, Syrskii said.He reported that Ukraine’s short-range drones struck 77,000 Russian targets in October, up from 66,500 in September and 60,000 in August. The rising figures suggest Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukrainian drone teams have been only partially successful. Russian Claims of Gains Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its forces had captured several settlements across multiple regions, including Uspenovka, Novoye and Sladkoye in Zaporizhia, Volchye in Dnipropetrovsk, and Gnatovke in Donetsk. The claims could not be independently verified. Ukraine Strikes Russian Infrastructure Beyond the front line, Ukraine continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure to disrupt fuel supplies. A drone attack forced Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery to halt operations on November 6 after damaging major processing units, according to sources cited by Reuters. Ukraine also struck electrical substations near Belgorod over the weekend, causing a citywide blackout, and triggered a fire at the port and oil terminal in Tuapse on the Black Sea during another drone operation.
