Russian forces continue fierce fighting for Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, even though Moscow claimed two weeks ago that the cities were “encircled.” According to RBC-Ukraine, Russia’s General Staff initially planned to capture the two cities by the end of October, but those deadlines have once again been pushed back.
In Pokrovsk, Russian troops are advancing in small groups, using heavy fog and light vehicles. Ukrainian military sources estimate that between 300 and 500 Russian soldiers are currently inside the city. Ukrainian units are engaged in close combat, with Russian forces seeking to reach the northern outskirts of Pokrovsk and create conditions for encirclement.
According to Ukrainian military reports, Moscow aims to link the 2nd Combined Arms Army advancing from the west with the 51st Army moving from the Krasnyi Lyman area, in order to form a pocket around the Pokrovsk agglomeration. Ukrainian defense forces, however, continue to disrupt these plans, holding back enemy advances and conducting counteractions near Rodynske.
The situation in Kupiansk remains tense. Russian troops are trying to push into the city center from the north and west to seize control of the R07 Kupiansk–Chuhuiv highway, which has operational and tactical importance. Estimates suggest around 70 Russian soldiers are present in the city, while Ukrainian forces maintain control over at least half of it.
According to Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces, the fighting in Kupiansk is taking place between small infantry groups amid difficult logistics. The enemy seeks to expand its bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River and create a flank for a possible advance toward Sloviansk.
Despite the challenging circumstances, RBC-Ukraine sources within Ukraine’s defense forces say the command is maintaining control of the situation, and a withdrawal from Pokrovsk is not being considered.