Battle of Pokrovsk: Russian Advances and Mounting Accusations of War Crimes

What you need to know: Russian forces are stepping up their advance toward the strategic Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, aiming to capture it before winter conditions tighten defenses. Given the fighting near the coal mining town of Selydove, just 13 kilometers from Pokrovsk, British military intelligence reports that Russian advances are increasing.

– The offensive has raised significant war crimes concerns as Ukrainian officials investigate the recent execution of four prisoners of war by Russian forces near Selydove.

-Suspected violations include systematic abuses and disregard for the laws of armed conflict, with the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine leading the investigation. The encirclement of Pokrovsk remains a critical phase in the Donbass conflict.

Pokrovsk is under siege: Russian forces are pushing towards an important Ukrainian city

Russian forces are making progress toward a strategic Ukrainian city. The Ukrainian military offers fierce resistance, but also gives in. Meanwhile, more and more cases of Russian troops executing prisoners of war are emerging.

The battle for Pokrovsk

“Russian Land Forces (RLF) have almost certainly advanced into the coal mining town of Selydove, some thirteen kilometers southeast of the key logistics center of Pokrovsk,” British military intelligence estimated in a recent assessment of the conflict.

Pokrovsk remains the Russian military's ultimate target. Pokrovsk is an important logistical hub for Donbas and important for the Ukrainian defense line in this part of the line of contact.

Russian forces are trying to approach Pokrovsk from several directions and are threatening to encircle the city.

“The city remains contested and fighting is likely to continue in the city center. “Selydove is the last significant urban area shielding the southern flank of Pokrovsk as well as the E50 highway connecting Selydove to Pokrovsk,” British military intelligence added.

“Since early October 2024, the RLF's rate of advance towards Pokrovsk had slowed significantly, with the RLF remaining within approximately seven kilometers or 4.3 miles of the city,” British military intelligence said.

The Russian high command concentrates resources and men against Pokrovsk in order to capture the city before the onset of winter “freezes” the battlefield and supports defensive measures.

“The RLF has recently directed its resources to the southern part of the axis, targeting Selydove and partially surrounding the city. “Russia probably intends to use the E50 highway as a secondary route for the advance to Pokrovsk if Selydove is captured,” British military intelligence concluded.

war crimes

If Russian warfare in Ukraine has taught us anything, it is that where there is heavy fighting, war crimes often occur. And the battles for Selydove and Pokrovsk are no exception.

“The Ukrainian authorities are investigating another execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces in the Pokrovsk direction against the background of increasingly frequent executions of prisoners of war by Russian forces throughout the territory,” the Institute for War Research ruled in its latest update on the conflict.

Although both sides likely committed war crimes in the heat of battle, Russian forces systematically and wholesale flouted the rules of war. The lack of discipline in the Russian armed forces and the poor quality of troops only make it easier to commit war crimes.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has opened an investigation into alleged executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by withdrawing Russian troops near Selydove. On October 7, Ukrainian troops recaptured positions near the city and found four Ukrainian soldiers shot dead. Russian forces first interrogated the four Ukrainian soldiers before executing them, in clear violation of the law of armed conflict.

The Russian military has tolerated and even encouraged war crimes against Ukrainian troops and civilians.

About the author

Stavros Atlamazoglou is an experienced defense journalist specializing in special operations and a veteran of the Greek Army (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx and SOFREP.

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