Fog Aids Russian Forces in Deep Push into Pokrovsk

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Thick fog has allowed Russian forces to advance further into the key eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian officials report.

The 7th Airborne Assault Corps of Ukraine said the weather, particularly dense fog, has prompted Moscow to intensify its efforts to increase troop numbers inside the heavily damaged city and attempt to encircle Ukrainian defenders. Russian forces have sought to capture Pokrovsk for over a year. Ukrainian authorities estimate 300–500 Russian soldiers are now inside the city, with President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledging that conditions remain extremely challenging.

Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi noted that the frontline in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region has “significantly worsened,” with three settlements falling under Russian pressure. However, he highlighted that Pokrovsk remains the main focus of Russian activity.

A video circulating on social media shows Russian soldiers navigating the foggy southern outskirts of the city on civilian vehicles and motorcycles. The BBC verified the footage as being filmed along the Selidove-Pokrovsk highway. According to a Ukrainian drone pilot from the “Shershni Dovbusha” unit, callsign “Goose,” the poor visibility prevented aerial reconnaissance, allowing Russian troops to launch vehicle-based assaults that would normally have been detected and neutralized.

Zelensky previously estimated around 300 Russian troops in Pokrovsk, but recent video and military assessments suggest the numbers have increased, with southern city areas now under Russian control. Mapping by the DeepState monitoring group indicates that Russian forces are closing in on much of the city, raising concerns about an imminent fall.

Much of Pokrovsk is now a grey zone, with neither side fully controlling the city. Ukrainian forces may occupy one building while Russian troops are in the next. Moscow is attempting to encircle Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad in a “cauldron,” using drones and artillery to target Ukrainian supply routes while sending ground troops to infiltrate key positions.

Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops back from Suvorove and Rodynske on the eastern part of the potential encirclement to prevent complete isolation. Russian tactics include infiltration by disguising soldiers as locals or Ukrainian troops to disrupt defenses before main assaults, according to military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets. Russian forces are also active elsewhere on the front line, including Kupyansk in the northeast and the Zaporizhzhia region in the south.

Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation, denied Russian claims of surrounding Kupyansk but admitted that Russian troops were active south of the town, creating a challenging situation for defenders.