Pokrovsk under siege: Russia advances in Donbass, Kiev retreats amidst fog and difficulty.

After weeks of incessant fighting, Ukraine's eastern front is experiencing one of the most critical phases since the beginning of the conflict. The Russian army, taking advantage of adverse weather conditions and the thick fog that has enveloped the region, has managed to penetrate deep into the city of pokrovsk, in Donetsk. According to the same Ukrainian sources, within the urban center there are already more than 300 Russian servicemen, engaged in what many analysts are calling the decisive battle for the fate of Donbass.

In parallel, on the southern front, the Ukrainian Defense Forces They announced their withdrawal from five settlements in the region of Zaporizhzhia, due to the intensification of Russian assault actions and the need to preserve the lives of military personnel. “The situation remains difficult”, the president admitted Volodymyr Zelensky, who traveled to kherson on the third anniversary of the liberation of the city, today a symbol of a resistance that risks crumbling.

Pokrovsk, the new epicenter of the war

Pokrovsk today represents the strategic hub of the conflict in Donbass. For the Kremlin, capturing the city would be of great value. symbolic and military huge: it would be Vladimir Putin's biggest success on the ground since 2023 and would pave the way towards Kramatorsk e Slovyansk, the two main Ukrainian strongholds still in Kiev's hands.

Ukrainian sources report that Moscow has amassed approximately 150.000 soldiers in the operation to conquer the city, carrying out a pincer movement that risks closing Pokrovsk from several sides. Kiev officially denies an encirclement, but the images spread on social media and verified by the BBC show Russian soldiers on motorbikes or civilian pick-ups advancing through the fog towards the southern outskirts of the city.

The fog, Moscow's ally

The thick grey blanket that has been covering the region for days has become a real ally of the Russians, limiting the ability of Ukrainian drones to intercept and strike enemy convoys.
A drone pilot from the Ukrainian unit “Shershni Dovbusha”, Code-named GooseHe told the BBC that the reduced visibility prevented effective reconnaissance operations. "Under normal conditions," he explained, "a column of vehicles like the one seen advancing towards Pokrovsk would have been destroyed immediately."

Despite some counteraction, Kiev forces were unable to completely contain the offensive. Videos circulating online show civilian cars and motorcycles loaded with soldiers cross roads devastated by bombs, a sign that the Ukrainian defensive lines are collapsing.

Moscow also advances in the north

Russian pressure isn't limited to Donbass. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, troops have taken control of the area. of the entire eastern part of Kupyansk, in Kharkiv, and another village south of Pokrovsk. The strategy appears clear: Moscow is seeking to progressively isolate the main Ukrainian cities of Donetsk Oblast on several fronts.

The War Beyond the Front: Missiles, Propaganda, and Diplomacy

As fighting intensifies, the war continues on the ground as well. of intelligence and propaganda.Russian FSB claimed a hypersonic missile attack Kinzhal against an alleged electronic espionage center near Kiev and against a base hosting F-16 jets. According to Moscow, this was a "retaliation" for an alleged Ukrainian attempt to hijack a fighter jet. Russian MiG-31 to simulate an attack on the largest NATO base in the region.

The claims are unverifiable, but they demonstrate how the information warfare proceeds parallel to the one fought on the ground. Meanwhile, thousands of civilians in the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Odessa They were left without electricity following the Russian raids, facing yet another winter under the bombs.

Zelensky asks allies for help

In this context of increasing difficulty, Zelensky continues to call for international support, particularly that of the United States. However, according to the Kyiv Post, All 'UN a diplomatic rift has opened: the administration Trump He is reportedly pushing to remove references to "Ukraine's territorial integrity" and the term "aggression" from the next General Assembly resolution. This proposal has provoked an outraged reaction from Kiev and a mobilization of European diplomats to urge Washington to reverse its position before the December vote.