Pokrovsk: War Technologies and Strategies Put to the Test
The city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region remains under constant pressure from Russian forces. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This area is becoming a new symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Strong resistance similar to the battles in Bakhmut was last observed by Russian forces in 2022–2023.
The fighting in Pokrovsk has been ongoing since the end of 2024. By November 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the worsening situation and openly spoke about the possibility of evacuating the city if necessary.
The battles in Pokrovsk have several distinctive features. According to CNN, Russia has changed its combat tactics based on the experience gathered over the last two years.
Now, long-range controlled drones are widely used. This increases the risk on both sides of the front line, making any forward movement almost impossible.
Instead of using tanks or armored vehicles as before, Russian forces are fighting with mopeds, quad bikes, and light mobile vehicles. According to Ukrainian fighters involved in the defense of Pokrovsk, this method initially seemed unusual, but under drone strikes, the effectiveness of this tactic was quickly understood.
One of the biggest problems inside the city is the near impossibility of evacuating the wounded. According to Ukrainian doctors, approaching Pokrovsk is very dangerous because drones are ready to attack at any moment.
The condition of the wounded worsens before they reach the doctors. Instead of the "wave attacks" used by Russia in the battles of Bakhmut, rapid attacks with small groups are carried out in Pokrovsk.
Now, attacking groups consist of three people instead of five to eight. Ukrainian fighters emphasize that tracking and eliminating such groups is very difficult.
Even if two members of a small group are eliminated, the third fighter strives to complete the mission. According to Mason Clark, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, Russia has adopted this method as a new strategy.
The slow pace of the attack is not a problem for them; the main goal is to exhaust Ukrainian forces through constant pressure. The situation in Pokrovsk shows that the war is turning into a confrontation between war technologies and small maneuver groups.
The main problem for Ukraine remains enduring continuous strikes with limited resources.
