Ukrainian forces reject Russian claims of Pokrovsk capture as advance stalls
Photo: Russian propagandists falsely claim the occupation of Pokrovsk for the fourth time in the past month and a half (Getty Images
Russian propagandists are spreading false claims about the complete occupation of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region. Russian forces have failed to break through the Armed Forces of Ukraine's defenses in the northern areas of the city and are resorting to the use of thermobaric artillery, reports the 7th Rapid Response Corps of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces.
On Friday, December 12, a well-known Russian propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, arrived in Pokrovsk. He stood in the city center holding a Russian tricolor and claimed the city had been fully occupied.
At the same time, Ukrainian defenders released footage showing a drone calmly knocking down a Russian flag in northern Pokrovsk. The 7th Air Assault Corps said claims of a full occupation are false because Russian forces have been unable to push through Ukrainian defenses in the north of the city.
The military said this was the fourth time in the past month and a half that propagandists had claimed the capture of the entire city, calling the claims an attempt to pass wishful thinking off as reality.
"The only argument is photos and videos from the central part of the city. The enemy missed the main point: this information provocation works only for those for whom television is food. And for them, Pokrovsk is just an unfamiliar name on a map," the 7th Air Assault Corps said.
Ukrainian defenders stressed that the Defense Forces control the northern part of Pokrovsk, where Russian troops have lost momentum. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue active offensive operations to regain control over every meter of the city.
Fighting in the Pokrovsk direction
Earlier, on December 11, Ukrainian soldiers raised the national flag in the center of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that on Saturday, special forces from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence showed exclusive footage of assault operations in the Pokrovsk direction.
The video shows the 6th Special Operations detachment of the Timur unit in action: storming a building occupied by Russian troops, clearing trenches, downing an enemy drone, precision FPV drone strikes, and providing medical aid to the wounded.
The footage captures episodes from a November 2025 operation in the Pokrovsk direction, involving HUR special units.
