How Pokrovsk Became a Testing Ground for a New, Slow-Burn Urban War

How Pokrovsk Became a Testing Ground for a New, Slow-Burn Urban War

Two Ukrainian units nearly collided on a shattered street outside Pokrovsk. Men moving in the opposite direction looked identical to a patrol that had just left after a 15-day rotation: the same blue armbands, similar kit. One of the passing soldiers even greeted them.

Minutes later a radio warning arrived: “Be careful, there is a group of Russian infiltrators in your area.” Ivan, a 21-year-old machine gunner embedded with a Da Vinci Wolves unmanned-systems unit, recalls, “We passed right by them. The men I saw matched the description exactly.”

Front Lines Blurred

In Pokrovsk the rigid dividing lines of urban frontlines have dissolved into a fog of suspicion and violence. Small Russian infiltration squads — often three to five fighters — move through gaps in the defences, sometimes in civilian clothes or riding bicycles. Drones dominate the sky, scouting approaches and directing strikes. Ukrainian units have revived accent-based “shibboleths” — short verbal tests designed to reveal native Russian speakers — to identify potential infiltrators.

“You step out of a bunker, look up, and for sure there will be a drone hovering above you. The sky is thick with them.”
— Ivan, machine gunner

Tactics, Weather and the ‘De-Mechanisation’ of War

Analysts describe a shift toward the “de-mechanisation” of warfare: large mechanised formations are now vulnerable to drone and FPV strikes, so attackers increasingly rely on small, mobile infantry groups that can slip into urban areas. Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird Group says this approach blurs the front line and allows attackers to erode defensive positions from within.

Weather plays a crucial role. On clear days Ukrainian commanders can limit infiltrations to around ten people; fog and heavy rain can allow dozens — sometimes 40 or more — to penetrate the city. Reconnaissance drones search for gaps in much-stretched lines, and once an infiltrator digs in they can call in reinforcements, launch attacks and widen a “grey zone” that neither side fully controls.

Costs, Confusion and the Fog of War

Ukrainian forces report they are killing many infiltrators but not all. In the chaos, misidentification and friendly-fire incidents are common. Ivan recounts radio orders not to engage a nearby infantry fighting vehicle only to learn later it was hostile; another Ukrainian brigade mistakenly destroyed four of his unit’s unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), known as Termites.

Deliberate misreporting also compounds the problem: front-line commanders sometimes overstate control of positions to avoid fatal counterattack orders. “This is a human factor,” says Sergiy, a soldier recovering in hospital. “There are different people and they say it differently. This is our reality.”

Drones, FPV Attacks and the Supply Crisis

Russian drones and glide bombs make resupply perilous. FPV strikes have targeted trucks, personnel carriers and other vehicles attempting to reach Pokrovsk, forcing Ukraine to rely on UGVs. Termite UGVs carry less than trucks and have limited survivability — units report many last only a few missions.

As infiltrators reached rear areas, drone pilots became high-value targets and suffered rising casualty rates. Pulling pilots back for safety reduced the tempo of strikes and limited Ukraine’s ability to interdict approaching enemy forces, an officer said.

Elite Units and the Strategic Picture

Ukraine deployed elite and battle-hardened units — including the Azov National Guard and GUR special forces flown in by Black Hawk helicopters — to clear infiltrators and reopen supply lines. Despite these efforts, a slow, persistent Russian advance has been difficult to stop.

Trusted Ukrainian mapping services show Moscow holding at least the south-eastern half of Pokrovsk, with a grey zone across many neighbourhoods and little fully secure for Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated roughly 300 infiltrators had entered parts of the city by late November; soldiers on the ground believe the true number may be higher.

What Capturing Pokrovsk Would Mean

Pokrovsk was once a logistics hub and remains a potential springboard for further operations toward fortified cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. But military analysts note a key limitation of infiltration tactics: they advance slowly and seldom produce rapid operational breakthroughs. Ukraine has fortified lines elsewhere, and Russian forces may need to secure several smaller towns before reaching larger objectives.

“Most of the fight will continue as slow, dragging fighting,” Kastehelmi says. “Taking Pokrovsk doesn’t open obvious new avenues for a rapid exploitation.”

Conclusion

Pokrovsk illustrates how modern urban warfare can be transformed by drones, small-unit infiltration and the resulting erosion of traditional front lines. The combat is costly, chaotic and protracted — a reminder that slow, persistent tactics can be strategically significant even without dramatic breakthroughs.