Ukraine war latest live: HUR releases combat footage from Pokrovsk, 'fierce battles' ongoing
Hello, this is Chris York from a cloudy fall day in Kyiv on day 1,350 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today's top story so far:
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on Nov. 4 released footage of what is said was an ongoing special operation in the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.
The video shows both drone and on-the-ground footage of drone strikes, tanks, infantry, helicopters, and artillery, providing an insight into the scale of the battle to save the city from encroaching Russian forces.
HUR said the footage showed the work of the Timur Special Unit. "Fierce battles are taking place with the Russian occupiers," it added.
Ukrainian forces said on Nov. 3 that they stopped a Russian attempt to advance north of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast, which is semi-circled by Russian forces and the site of fierce fighting.
Reports over the weekend suggested that HUR launched a special operation involving airborne assault units in Pokrovsk under the command of HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov.
Reuters reported on Oct. 31 that the raid began earlier this week, when Ukrainian special forces landed from a Black Hawk helicopter in areas compromised by Russian drone activity.
A video seen by the agency appears to show at least 10 soldiers disembarking in an open field. The location and date of the footage have not been independently verified.
Later on Nov. 4, Ukraine's Security Service also released a video showing what it said were its forces "systematically destroying Russian troops and enemy equipment in Pokrovsk."
In what could be a dig at their HUR counterparts, the SBU added: "It should be noted that SBU fighters have been conducting combat work in the Pokrovsk direction for a long time."
Zelensky visits Azov National Guard troops fighting in the Dobropillia sector
Last updated 3:05 p.m. Kyiv time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Ukrainian soldiers from the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov," Zelensky wrote on X on Nov. 4.
Zelensky visited a command post of the 1st Corps, which is conducting a defensive operation in Dobropillia sector together with adjacent units.
"I heard reports from the military; we discussed the situation on the frontline and the most urgent needs. Much attention was given to weapons, scaling up drone production, needs of brigades," Zelensky wrote.
He thanked the soldiers for their service and presented them with state awards.
I met with our warriors at the command post of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” which is conducting a defensive operation in the Dobropillia sector together with adjacent units.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 4, 2025
I heard reports from the military; we discussed the situation on the frontline… pic.twitter.com/1toCuW3r33
"I am grateful to the warriors for defending Ukraine and our territorial integrity. This is our country, this is our East, and we will certainly do our utmost to keep it Ukrainian," Zelensky said.
Dobropillia is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the long-embattled Pokrovsk, which used to be a key Ukrainian logistics hub. Russian troops have already entered the city and are trying to close in further to force a Ukrainian withdrawal.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Russia drops record number of aerial guided bombs on Ukraine in October
Last updated 2:26 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russia has dropped a record number of aerial guided bombs on Ukraine in October, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on Nov. 4.
Russia significantly increased its use of guided aerial bombs (KAB) against Ukraine in October, dropping over 5,328 munitions on Ukrainian military positions and cities near the front line.
According to the ministry, this represents the highest number of guided bomb strikes recorded in a month since the beginning of 2025.
In total, during the first ten months of 2025, Russian forces have dropped approximately 40,000 aerial bombs on Ukraine, roughly the same amount that was dropped throughout all of 2024.
"(Russia's) air terror is intensifying," the ministry said.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Explosions rock Russian ammunition depot, oil refineries, petrochemical plant amid mass Ukrainian drone strike
Last updated 12:27 pm Kyiv time.
Explosions rocked a Russian ammunition facility in occupied Luhansk Oblast, and a petrochemical plant and oil enterprises across Russia, media reported overnight on Nov. 4.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that it shot down 85 drones overnight across Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Volgograd, and Sverdlovsk oblasts, as well as in the Republic of Bashkortostan.
The blasts occurred amid a reported drone attack on the site in the city of Dovzhansk, Luhansk Oblast. The city is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the city of Luhansk and has been occupied by Russian forces since 2014.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
Kramatorsk, Ukraine's iconic front-line rail stop, closed for 'indefinite period'
Last updated 11:49 a.m. Kyiv time.
A key train route iconic for being a meeting and departure point for Ukrainian soldiers and their loved ones has been reduced for an "indefinite period" due to safety concerns amid Russia intensifying strikes on railway infrastructure, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 4
Trains that ran from Kyiv and Lviv to Kramatorsk, a city in Donetsk Oblast located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the front line, will now have their final destination in the city of Husarivka in Kharkiv Oblast.
Kramatorsk train station, the last stop before the front lines in Ukraine's east, became well-known as a place where people saw off soldiers heading to the front, as well as greeting those returning.
According to Ukrainian Railways, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration provides buses to further transfer passengers from Husarivka to frontline cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
"We continue to operate wherever possible from a safety perspective and appreciate your understanding," Ukrainian Railways said.
Yuliia Taradiuk
At least 3 killed, 23 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
At least six people have been killed and 30 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Nov. 3.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 92 out of the 130 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys launched by Russia overnight. Russia also launched six missiles, none of which were intercepted, according to the Air Force. As of the morning of Nov. 3, 31 drone and missile hits were recorded at 14 locations.
In Donetsk Oblast, two people were killed and two others injured, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Kherson Oblast, six people were injured, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 65-year-old woman was killed, and eleven people, including two children were injured, Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko reported.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russia targeted seven settlements, injuring four people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,145,670 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,145,670 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Nov. 4.
The number includes 840 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,326 tanks (+5), 23,532 (+1) armored fighting vehicles, 66,504 (+93) vehicles and fuel tanks, 34,249 (+42) artillery systems, 1,535 multiple launch rocket systems (+1), 1,235 air defense systems, 428 airplanes, 346 helicopters, 77,860 (+425) drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Yuliia Taradiuk
