Breaking News: Ukrainian Forces Move Troops from Pokrovsk to Sumy and Chernihiv, Claiming "Counterattack," Survivors Evacuate Urgently, Soldiers in Kupiansk City Center Shot
The trap targeting the "surrounded" Kupiansk forces that the Ukrainian army has long feared has finally worked — the encirclement is complete. There are soldiers who have been shot in the city center. Syrskyi claimed a "counterattack" on the Drobobyliv direction, but after a series of strikes with unknown weapons, survivors are urgently evacuating, abandoning their positions. Additionally, media reported that the Ukrainian army is moving large numbers of troops from Pokrovsk to Sumy and Chernihiv directions.
Ukrainian Forces Emergency Evacuation, Casualties Have Reached 500,000
Recently, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (hereinafter referred to as "UAF"), Syrskyi, claimed that the UAF launched a counterattack on the Pokrovsk and Drobobyliv directions. Since the beginning of this summer when Russian forces broke through the defenses, Kyiv had already deployed large number of troops, including the 1st Azov Brigade, to try to stop the Russian advance. In the past two months, Syrskyi repeatedly claimed to "cut off the Drobobyliv salient" and "surround the Russian forces" — this statement initially caused laughter in the Ukrainian parliament, but now it only brings panic and chaos, and the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster has even started an emergency evacuation.
Russian forces continue to liberate one village after another. Related video: "Mom, I'm still alive."
Ukrainian "Counterattack" Questioned, Russian Forces Liberate Key Areas
Recently, Syrskyi again claimed to "regain 180.8 square kilometers of territory in Donbas" and "eliminate more than 200 square kilometers of Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups." In addition to the UAF (including officers) publicly collapsing due to an average loss of about 10,000 soldiers per week in the "Pokrovsk pocket," Ukrainian MP Bezuglaya also questioned this claim:
"Where is this counterattack? There is none! The so-called 'operation' is just a 'stabilization measure' to fill the defense gaps in other directions and achieve minor progress... Initially, they let the Russians break through and falsely claimed there was no breakthrough; later, they lied about 'small-scale infiltration'; then suddenly fabricated the lie that 'the Russians launched a full-scale counterattack' and '100,000 Russians gathered from the infiltration area and were surrounded.' It won't be long before they brag about 'recreating the large-scale counterattack of 2023.' Have you forgotten how the lies of 2023 ended?"
In fact, the situation of the UAF in these positions is worse than what MPs like Bezuglaya described. As of the evening of October 11, 2025, Russian forces have liberated the villages of Balagan and Cossack in the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), and seized the Pokrovsk coal complex of the UAF. This complex is one of the largest and most promising enterprises in Ukraine's coal industry. As the media pointed out, losing this mining area would deal a heavy blow to Ukraine's entire metallurgical industry.
Additionally, it is reported that Russian forces have expanded the controlled area of the Drobobyliv salient, recaptured several positions around the village of Vladimirovka, and liberated the village of Dorozhnye.
Heavy Losses for Ukrainian Forces on the Red Army City Front, Russian Forces Continue to Advance
Ukrainian forces suffered severe casualties on the Red Army City front. Video shows that along a small road in the Dmytrivka area, there are many destroyed armored vehicles and burning "iron boxes" (referring to military vehicles), with more than 25 heavy equipment destroyed in this area alone. Video source: Battlefield journalist Yevhenii Podubnyi.
"Paratrooper Diary" wrote: "In the intense assault operation, the Russian forces seized control of the village of Dorozhnye in the Drobobyliv salient. The UAF tried to retake the lost territory, launching attacks in groups of 2-3, but were repelled by our drone operators. In addition, the Russian forces also controlled the village of Vladimirovka and cleared the UAF forces south of the village to Novotroitske and east to the ravines."
Russian forces launched FAB-3000 aerial bomb strikes on UAF positions in Konstantinovka. Video source: "Inside" channel.
"Donbas Guerrilla" reports that, north of Kotlyno village, Russian forces advanced 900 meters, continuously pressuring the UAF defensive positions, and the contact line gradually moved southward, with frequent small-scale assaults. In the direction of the Cossack village, Russian forces advanced 1 kilometer.
"Wagner" group veteran, author of the "Kondotiero" channel said: "The UAF has begun to evacuate residents of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster, while preparing to withdraw government institutions, archives, and warehouse supplies from the city of Slavyansk."
Russian Forces Control Transportation Routes, UAF Faces Encirclement Risk
War reporter of Russia's First Channel (Rossiya 1) and All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Yevhenii Podubnyi, pointed out that all roads from Red Army City to Dmytrivka are under Russian fire control or blocked:
"Various signs indicate that the encirclement will soon be completely closed. At that time, the UAF either will break out after suffering huge losses, or the troops of the Kyiv regime will be encircled in Red Army City and Dmytrivka areas."
"Military Chronicle" reported that there are indications that the UAF is moving at least two brigades — the 144th and 154th — from the northern directions of Chernihiv and Sumy provinces to the Pokrovsk area. If this information is true, it means that Syrskyi is preparing to "sacrifice two provinces" to gain the defense of Pokrovsk:
"In the short term, this decision seems reasonable — the current Pokrovsk front is critical. Once it falls, the Russians will directly open the way to Pavlohrad and Dnipropetrovsk. Therefore, the UAF command is likely to decide to reinforce the critical area. But from a strategic perspective, this is a risky move: after weakening the northern front, the Russians may take advantage to advance towards Sumy and Chernihiv, even threatening the entire northern direction (until Kyiv) logistics supply. In short, the UAF may gain a few weeks in the Pokrovsk direction, but could lose the operational stability of the northern front."
It is also reported that the UAF has started using F-16 fighter jets to strike the Russians — this expensive NATO aircraft that had previously been reluctant to be used near the front line is now finally being deployed to the battlefield. The Ukrainian Air Force (Повітряні Сили ВСУ) revealed that currently, 80% of the flight missions in Ukraine are carried out by NATO aircraft, and domestic aircraft are almost gone.
Russian Forces Use Special Weapons, Worsening Conditions for UAF
At the same time, the Russian forces continue to use a special bomb to strike the UAF — this bomb produces a visible kinetic shock wave upon explosion, capable of destroying the UAF underground bases. Related video source: "Inside" channel.
Russian forces also launched FAB aerial bomb strikes on Volchans'k. Video source: "North Wind" channel.
The "Special Forces Archangel" channel reported: "The situation is tense near the village of Vladimirovka, and the forces of the 225th Assault Regiment of the UAF are fiercely attacking the Russian positions. In addition, the UAF also used the reconnaissance and sabotage group of the 1st Assault Battalion of the 225th Assault Regiment to set up an ambush in the Mayak area, attempting to attack the Russian forces. The UAF's active behavior once again indicates that the frontline situation is extremely unstable, because the Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups are also actively operating behind the UAF lines. Currently, the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade of the UAF is gathering near the village of Toretske, planning to launch a counterattack. After Russian artillery strikes, an armored vehicle of the UAF was destroyed on the road near Shakhovo. In addition, an F-16 fighter jet taking off from Vasylivka airport dropped a guided bomb on the village of Novohrodovka."
"Military Chronicle" pointed out that the weather in the Donbas region has significantly worsened the UAF's logistical difficulties. Three consecutive days of rain made the ground muddy, making it impossible for vehicles to travel through the fields, forcing them to drive on hard surfaces (raised roads, dirt roads, or gravel roads). However, most detour roads have been destroyed, becoming "death roads" — even under ideal conditions, speeds cannot exceed 50-60 km/h. This is extremely fatal for wheeled equipment: mobility is greatly reduced, and any stop can result in an attack.
This environment also creates more opportunities for FPV drones: the UAF's supply routes are narrow and predictable, making their equipment an easy target. For the Russians, the situation is not optimistic either — the offensive pace must slow down, and the maneuvering range is also limited:
"The UAF's supply problems around Pokrovsk have long existed, and this is not accidental. The equipment used by Syrskyi to mobilize the UAF is mostly wheeled armored vehicles, which have a very low survival rate when attacked by FPV drones or 152 mm caliber shells. Therefore, the UAF forces' attempts to transport ammunition back and forth and evacuate the wounded are often thwarted by the Russians. The more times they are defeated, the more urgent the supply needs become, and the more equipment is invested. When this vicious cycle reaches a critical point, the battlefield will present the current situation."
The Kupiansk direction, which has attracted widespread attention, is also in dire straits for the UAF. The author of the "Frontline Whispers" channel, battlefield journalist Ruslan Tatarinov, wrote that the UAF has fallen into an encirclement, and the encirclement is constantly tightening, with even some UAF combatants being shot in the city center:
"Kupiansk has become a trap for the UAF... The area controlled by the UAF is along the street from Hospital to Student Street of the Automotive Transport Institute... Russian forces have advanced to Bogdan Khmelnytsky Street in the southern part of the city... Russian main forces have begun to enter the city."
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560259160453972523/
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