Russian forces on Monday claimed they have captured Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, after nearly two years under siege.
The Russian Defense Ministry released a video purporting to show its soldiers in the center of the frontline town. SOFX could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The Russian Defense Ministry released a video purporting to show its soldiers in the center of the frontline Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk. Ukraine has made no acknowledgement that the place has fallen into Russian hands https://t.co/g4TbKnQP3k pic.twitter.com/V1AkgNortF
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 2, 2025
Moscow also claimed control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the reported capture as a major victory advancing Russia’s broader war objectives.
“I want to thank you for the results of your work regarding Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), both you and the entire command and personnel of the battlegroup,” Putin said. “Of course, the fighters, our guys, who are carrying out these combat missions,” he added, according to Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS.
Ukraine denied Russia’s claims. In a Facebook post on Monday, the Ukrainian 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces said that Ukrainian forces “continue to hold back” Russia’s advances in Pokrovsk.
Ukraine’s state news agency, Ukrinform, reported on Tuesday that Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces’ 3rd Separate Regiment cleared an industrial facility in the Pokrovsk sector previously occupied by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group. The operation resulted in the capture of an enemy radio station and one Russian soldier.
On the Pokrovsk front, Ukraine’s 3rd SOF Regiment carried out a clearing operation at an industrial site where Russian forces attempted infiltration. After drone reconnaissance spotted Russian forces, the team waited for optimal weather before moving in. pic.twitter.com/pZc6z4FK1Y
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) December 2, 2025
Russia made the claims about the captured territories the night before meeting U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow to discuss a potential peace deal for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also meeting with U.S. and European leaders this week to discuss strategies for negotiating an end to the war.
On Monday, he said one of his top priorities is to prevent Russia from gaining territorial concessions that would legitimize its occupation of parts of Ukraine.
