Ukraine deploys special forces to Pokrovsk amid fierce Russian assault, as Kyiv vows to repel advances and protect key eastern supply routes

The move underscores Ukraine’s determination to defend a critical supply hub in the Donetsk region amid mounting battlefield pressure.

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Pokrovsk, a city that once housed around 60,000 residents, lies on a vital logistics corridor for the Ukrainian army and has long been a key target for Moscow’s forces.

Kyiv said hundreds of Russian troops had infiltrated the city earlier this week, while others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped offensive.

“A comprehensive operation to destroy and displace enemy forces from Pokrovsk is underway,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky announced on Facebook.

“By my order, consolidated groups of Special Operations Forces are operating in the city,” he added, without revealing further details.

Social media footage appeared to show helicopters flying over the area, while another video — purportedly filmed by a Russian drone — showed soldiers disembarking from a helicopter in a nearby field.

Syrsky described the attackers as “an enemy group thousands strong” but rejected reports that the city had been encircled. “There is no blockade,” he said. “We are doing everything to implement logistics.”

Pokrovsk has been devastated by months of fighting and now lies largely deserted. Russia’s slow but relentless advance in eastern Ukraine has come at a high cost, with both sides sustaining significant losses in the gruelling trench warfare that has defined the front lines for over a year.

Kyiv’s announcement came as new data revealed that Russia launched more missiles at Ukraine in October than in any month since early 2023.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Moscow fired 270 missiles — a 46 per cent increase from September — alongside over 5,000 drones targeting Ukraine’s fragile energy infrastructure.

The sustained bombardment has plunged parts of the country into darkness, forcing authorities to impose rolling blackouts nationwide, including in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials say at least two people were killed in fresh Russian strikes on Saturday.

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Ukraine deploys special forces to Pokrovsk at a pivotal moment in the conflict, as Moscow seeks to capitalise on its incremental territorial gains while Kyiv fights to prevent further advances and preserve vital supply lines through the war-ravaged east.