Zelenskyy: Situation in Pokrovsk 'very difficult,' withdrawal up to local commanders

Zelenskyy acknowledged that the situation in Pokrovsk, in the east of the Donetsk region, remains “very difficult.”

According to him, Russian forces are trying to gain control of the city after months of fierce fighting.

The president emphasized that any decision regarding the withdrawal of troops is up to the military commanders on the ground.

"Nobody is pushing them to die for the sake of ruins. I will support our soldiers, especially commanders who are there, how they can control the situation. Or it’s too costly for us — the most important for us is our soldiers," Zelenskyy said.

He noted that Russia seeks victory in Pokrovsk in order to strengthen its position in possible negotiations with the United States.

"Russia is seeking a victory in Pokrovsk to try and persuade Trump that Ukraine should pull out of the whole of the eastern Donbas, consisting of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to end the war," the president explained.

At the same time, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would not abandon the defense of its eastern territories.

"We cannot leave eastern Ukraine. Nobody will understand that, people won’t understand that. And the main thing is that nobody will guarantee you that if they seize this or that town, they won’t move further. There is no deterrent factor,” the president stressed.

According to him, Russia is focusing its efforts on striking Ukraine’s energy system, trying to weaken the country before spring.

"They know that as soon as the energy factor disappears, they don’t have other strong factors,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Russian forces "don’t have that much strength."

Battles for Pokrovsk

The Pokrovsk direction has long remained one of the hottest sectors of the front. Currently, heavy fighting continues inside the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

Russian forces are attempting to encircle the city from several directions, gradually advancing and using infiltration tactics with small assault groups to identify weak spots in Ukrainian defenses.

Initially, the enemy tried to break through from the south, from the areas of Zvirove and Troyanda. Later, attacks began from the west — from the Kotlyne area toward the industrial zone in the northwest of Pokrovsk.

Recently, attempts by Russian units to penetrate from the southeast have also been recorded. According to Ukrainian military estimates, between 300 and 500 Russian soldiers may currently be inside the city.

According to the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on November 13 alone, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 81 enemy attacks in the areas of 16 settlements in the Pokrovsk direction.

More details on the defenders’ chances of holding Pokrovsk – find in the RBC-Ukraine article.