International01/11/2025

Ukraine launches a counter-offensive to try to save one of its last strongholds in Donetsk

The country's top military intelligence official is overseeing a counter-offensive in Pokrovsk, Kyiv's top priority.

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BarcelonaA small city in eastern Ukraine has become the focus of intense attention for both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries in recent hours. The defense of Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, is now the primary objective of Volodymyr Zelensky's forces, who are attempting to halt the advance of much larger Russian troops. near to surround this key location for military logisticsThis Saturday, the Ukrainian army launched a counter-offensive with special forces, who penetrated the city by helicopter, according to several Ukrainian media outlets.

The Ukrainian Chief of Staff, Oleksandr Sirsky, detailed in a social media post that the counter-offensive involved the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and consolidated special operations forces. According to Ukrainian military sources speaking to the BBC, military intelligence special forces and assault groups are being used as regular infantry to protect supply lines to troops in Pokrovsk, one of the last Ukrainian strongholds.

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Local media reported that the head of the GUR himself, Kirill Budanov, is on the front lines overseeing the operation. The Ukrainian army did not specify the scale of the offensive, but it did deny Russian reports that a group of eleven Ukrainian soldiers had been killed when they attempted to land a helicopter one kilometer from the city. However, Sirski admitted that Pokrovsk is the point on the battlefront "where things are most complicated."

"Pokrovsk is our priority," summarized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vladimir Putin's army has been trying for a year to capture this small city, which before the war had a population of only 60,000. Its location is key, as it is a crucial transportation and supply hub. If Russian troops manage to take control of Pokrovsk and the other major fighting area, Kostiantinivka, they would have an easier time advancing into the Donetsk province, specifically towards the two major cities still under Ukrainian control: Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Putin is demanding that the Kyiv government cede all of Donbas (comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces) in order to accept a peace agreement, which would mean the transfer of territory currently under Ukrainian control.

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The Pentagon gives the green light to send Tomahawk missiles to Kiiv, but it must be approved by Trump.

The Pentagon has given the green light to send Tomahawk long-range missiles to Ukraine, but the final decision rests with President Donald Trump. CNN, citing three US and European officials, reported that the US Department of Defense approved the shipment of these weapons to Kyiv after determining that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles.

According to the network, the Joint Chiefs of Staff briefed the White House on their assessment in early October, before Trump met with Zelensky. At that meeting, the US president ruled out supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine: "We don't want to give away things we need to protect our country," he said. These missiles have a range of approximately 1,600 kilometers, which would allow the Ukrainian military to strike targets deep inside Russia, far from the border, including Moscow.