KYIV, 2 November (H.S.): Ukraine's top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged on Saturday, November 1, 2025, that his troops are facing difficult conditions in defending the key eastern town of Pokrovsk against a multi-thousand enemy force.

The admission comes as Russia intensifies its year-long campaign to capture the strategic hub, which could unlock its efforts to seize the rest of the Donetsk region.

In response to the escalating assault, Ukraine has deployed elite special forces to protect vital supply lines, all of which are reportedly under Russian fire . While General Syrskyi denied Russian claims that Ukrainian troops were surrounded or blocked, he confirmed he was on the front lines to personally assess the situation.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared the defense of Pokrovsk a priority.The situation on the ground is highly contested, with both sides issuing conflicting reports. Russia's defense ministry claimed to have thwarted a Ukrainian special forces deployment by helicopter, killing 11 troops, and asserted that Ukrainian soldiers were beginning to surrender.

Kyiv has denied these claims.Ukrainian military sources and monitoring groups describe much of Pokrovsk as a contested 'grey zone', with neither side in full control. Despite the intense pressure, Ukraine's military stated it had improved its tactical position in some areas and was working to cut Russian logistics routes. The capture of Pokrovsk, a pre-war city of over 60,000, would be Russia's most significant territorial gain since taking Avdiivka earlier in the year.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar