Putin claimed that the Russian military had captured the whole of Pokrovsk. Three days later, that is still not true.
Pokrovsk. A city under fire for nearly two years. Most recently, the Russian military has made a push to capture the strategic urban center. Russian president Vladimir Putin had even given a deadline to his generals to capture Pokrovsk by the middle of November.
There have been conflicting reports as of late about the situation in Pokrovsk. Although the Russian forces have made significant progress in capturing the city, they have not done so completely.
Pokrovsk Fights On
On Monday, Putin claimed that the Russian military had captured the whole of Pokrovsk. Three days later, that is still not true.
“Russian President Putin’s 02 December 2025 reported claim that Russian Ground Forces (RGF) have taken complete control of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is almost certainly inaccurate,” the British Ministry of Defence assessed in an operational update on Wednesday.
The Russian forces control the majority of the city, but the Ukrainian military still retains some control over the northern part of Pokrovsk. Moreover, the Ukrainian forces retain some “limited capability to launch small-scale raids into the northern part of the city, contesting full Russian control, and delaying Russian efforts at consolidation.
The Russian military tried to envelop the city and trap the Ukrainian defenders inside. However, the Ukrainian military has been able to maintain an open corridor, allowing troops and supplies to move from and to the northern part of Pokrovsk.
To be sure, the Russian military will capture Pokrovsk in the next days and weeks. A contrary outcome would be quite the surprise as the Russian military maintains the strategic and operational initiative, leaving the Ukrainian forces on the defensive.
“Ukrainian forces have continued the defence of the city itself over a period of months, despite being quantitatively overmatched,” the British Ministry of Defence stated.
The likely capture of Pokrovsk by the Russian military will frustrate Ukrainian offensive and defensive operations in the Donbas.
“RGF are continuing intensive efforts to envelop Pokrovsk, which previously served as a key Ukrainian logistics hub supporting operations in the Donbas and likely remains Russia’s priority axis,” the British Ministry of Defence assessed, using an initialism for the Russian Ground Forces.
The Cost of Taking a Ukrainian City
The cost of taking Pokrovsk has been high. The Russian military has been trying to capture the Ukrainian city for more than 18 months.
“Russian forces have sustained heavy casualties over an extended period in offensive operations on the Pokrovsk axis, contributing to the likely more than 250,000 Russian soldiers killed or missing (presumed dead) since Russia launched its illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” the British Ministry of Defence concluded in its latest intelligence analysis.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Russian military, paramilitary units, and pro-Russian separatist forces have lost more than 1.2 million troops in the war since February 24, 2022. In warfare, wounded casualties are always higher than troops killed in action. So, London’s assessment of a quarter of a million dead Russian troops out of approximately 1.2 million total casualties is a credible estimate.
One thing is for sure: Pokrovsk has proven to be quite a challenge for the Russian military.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.com / Vova Shevchuk
