Ukrainian assault teams retake Pokrovsk center and raise Ukrainian flag

Today, there are important updates from the Pokrovsk direction.

Here, despite Russian claims of total control over Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian command proved them wrong by clearing half of the town. Ukrainian troops entered the center by conducting a dangerous raid and counterattacked the enemy, indicating the battle is far from over.

Soldiers of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment Skala have carried out one of the most daring and symbolic missions in the battle for Pokrovsk. Conducted under the cover of darkness, the operation unfolded in several stages, with small assault teams moving deep into the city using fast buggies and drones with thermal cameras for reconnaissance. The soldiers infiltrated through the shattered streets and ruins, maneuvering through Russian-controlled sectors before reaching the city center.

After intense close-quarters combat, they cleared the municipal building of Russian troops and hoisted the Ukrainian flag above it, signaling to everyone that Pokrovsk remains contested, and that Ukraine remains able to combat the Russian forces throughout the urban environment.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, this was part of a broader reinforcement effort aimed at stabilizing the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad front and protecting the vital logistics routes connecting the two towns.

This success demonstrates that Russians are far from surrounding or taking complete control of Pokrovsk, as the majority of it remains a grey zone, with Ukrainian and Russian positions scattered across the ruins and separated only by streets or even individual houses. In one neighborhood, Ukrainian units appear cut off and surrounded, while in another, Russian troops are the ones encircled, a chaotic situation typical for modern urban warfare, where heavy bomber drones drop supplies on friendly units, and bombs on the enemy. The inter-positional zones are practically deserted, patrolled only by strike and recon UAV’s, with both sides avoiding unnecessary movement to escape detection and FPV drone attacks.

Helmet-camera footage from Ukrainian soldiers shows the brutal reality of this combat, room-by-room clearing of buildings, short bursts of gunfire to shoot down enemy drones, and ambushes against Russian infantry in half-collapsed stairwells. The soldiers operate under constant aerial surveillance, with reconnaissance drones providing live feedback and FPV drones delivering precise strikes.

This footage is vital in countering the disinformation spread by the Russians claiming full control over Pokrovsk. While Russian troops are indeed present in parts of the city and have brought in substantial reinforcements, their hold is far weaker than they would like to portray. In reality, Russian forces control portions of the southern and central sectors, but their grip is unstable. Ukrainian troops continue to push back, reentering contested areas, liberating and fortifying strongpoints, and proving that Russian dominance in Pokrovsk is not absolute. The return of the Ukrainian flag to the city center serves not only as a morale boost but as irrefutable evidence that the city is still fiercely contested.

Despite these deep clearing raids, the Ukrainian objective has not changed from holding Russian forces below the railway line that cuts through Pokrovsk and to deny them access to the northern part of the town. The railway line is tactically significant because it offers open visual space, enabling easier surveillance and drone observation of Russian movements compared to series of destroyed houses close together.

Its clear zones reduce the risk of surprise infiltration and allow Ukrainian posts and drone operators to monitor every approach route. By keeping the Russians south of the tracks, Ukrainian forces protect the northern logistics corridor toward Myrnohrad, their most important task at the moment.

These efforts, including the raids, are part of a larger strategic framework, buying time to clear the enemy salient near Dobropillia. Success there would collapse Russia’s northern flank and stabilize logistics into Myrnohrad, making it become a defensive fortress. At the same time, maintaining the secure corridor by holding northern Pokrovsk ensures flexibility, either to continue holding Myrnohrad or to execute a rapid withdrawal if necessary. Given the enormous number of troops and equipment Russia has concentrated here, the situation remains fluid and unpredictable.

Overall, the ongoing Ukrainian counteractions inside Pokrovsk show that the town’s fate is still undecided. The footage of the national flag flying once again over the main square, alongside scenes of urban clearing operations, contradicts Russian claims of victory. After more than a year of fighting, Pokrovsk remains unbroken, its defenders adapting and striking back despite overwhelming odds. The visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the frontline, where he met commanders and awarded soldiers holding the line, underlines that determination further.