Russia claims HUR special forces raid in embattled Pokrovsk thwarted, Ukraine denies

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) launched a special operation involving airborne assault units in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, under the command of HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov, according to reports.

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.

Sources within the Defense Forces told Suspilne that Ukrainian assault units entered areas of Pokrovsk that Russian commanders had previously claimed to control.

Later on Nov. 1, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the raid had been thwarted. "All 11 personnel who landed from the helicopter were killed," it said in a post on Telegram. Ukraine denied the claim.

Economist journalist Oliver Carroll also shared unverified footage appearing to show a helicopter landing in Russian-held territory near Pokrovsk.

"Hearing Ukraine's military intelligence is conducting a daring counter-offensive near Pokrovsk to reopen key logistics lines," Carroll wrote on X.

The military analysis platform DeepState reported continued Russian advances in the Pokrovsk sector over the past few days.

The battle for Pokrovsk

Pokrovsk serves as a major road and rail hub in eastern Ukraine. Its full capture could enable further Russian advances deeper into Donetsk Oblast — a region Moscow has sought to fully occupy since launching its war against Ukraine in 2014.

The defense of the major city in Donetsk Oblast, which has held out for over a year of heavy fighting as one of the main hotspots of the front line, looks to have begun falling apart as Russian soldiers in their hundreds have broken into the city limits, spreading in all directions.

According to the Ukrainian military, 11,000 Russian troops have been concentrated around Pokrovsk in an attempt to surround the city, with President Volodymyr Zelensky telling journalists on Oct. 27 that Russian forces outnumbered Ukrainian defenders 8 to 1.

Speaking during a visit to a military hospital in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that both Pokrovsk and the embattled city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast were encircled.

In a bizarre comment — especially considering the recent uptick in fatal attacks on journalists near the front line — Putin added that Russian forces would be prepared to cease fire in the respective areas "for a few hours" so that Ukrainian and foreign journalists could enter, speak to Ukrainian soldiers, and "confirm for themselves the state that these surrounded forces are in."

German Bild journalist Julian Ropcke posted a screenshot on social media of what he said was a personal email invitation from Russia to visit Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian commanders' reports as well as open-source data show that Putin's claim of a complete encirclement is still far from reality, but the situation is undoubtedly highly dynamic and deteriorating for the defending side.

What we know now about the ‘encirclement’ of Ukraine’s Pokrovsk

Russian soldiers have advanced further into the city of Pokrovsk, threatening not only to take the city, but to complete a larger encirclement of the surrounding area, as independent analysts and commanders report a serious deterioration of the Ukrainian position in the area. The defense of the major city in Donetsk Oblast, which has held out for over a year of heavy fighting as one of the main hotspots of the front line, looks to have begun falling apart as Russian soldiers in their hundreds h

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell