Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, the city of Pokrovsk – one of the last major cities in the Donetsk region – had a population of around 60,000. Today, this railway-logistics center has become one of the Kremlin’s priority goals. For nearly two years, Moscow has stepped up its attacks to bring them to their knees… and is on the verge of success. Recently, an unexpected ally appeared to come to his aid: thick fog blanketed the city, making drone surveillance of Russian attacks difficult.
Used for reconnaissance and attacks, Ukrainian drones rely on optical cameras that become inefficient when visibility decreases. The Russian troops realized this: taking advantage of the bad weather, they moved quickly towards Pokrovsk. “There are currently more than 300 Russians in this city”shown on the 7the Ukrainian airborne assault corps in a press release published Tuesday, November 11. Two weeks ago, the number was only 200. According to the same source, the Kremlin troops combined the density of the fog with a “light equipment” to attack the south side.
On Monday, November 10, Russian Telegram channels broadcast videos showing soldiers speeding away on civilian motorbikes or cars. A sequence that suggests the infantry is advancing further than confirmed by Ukrainian surveillance tools such as DeepState UA. Another video showed Russian vehicles speeding on the E50 highway in Pokrovsk, which until now marked the border of territory occupied by Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged on Tuesday November 11 that Russia “increasing the number and scale of attacks» in Pokrovsk. “The situation there was difficult, especially because the weather conditions favored an attack»he added in a press release. Moscow’s aim now was to encircle the city. With Russian troops massed on three sides, the city was bounded only by a 15 km corridor to the north, through which food and ammunition passed.
The number of Ukrainian troops is eight times smaller
According to the Ukrainian president, the number of enemy troops there is eight times greater than in Kyiv. In an interview with the New York Post, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky even put forward a figure of 150,000 troops committed to taking the city. For Kyiv, Pokrovsk remains an important railway junction that acts as a “gateway” to the Donetsk fortress line.
These new Russian advances also highlight the limitations of cheap drones used by Ukrainian forces. While Kiev called for increased funding to modernize its fleet, authorities warned against relying too heavily on these unmanned systems.
“In fog you can’t fly this drone because you can’t see anything»explained to Business Insider Oleksandr Chernyavskiy, a drone prototyping specialist for the 241e territorial defense brigade. “But the artillery didn’t care about the fog. If he had the coordinates, he would shoot and destroy anything that moved in the area, no problem.»
