Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps announced on August 15 that it has cleared the frontline city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast of Russian sabotage groups and individual saboteurs, concluding a month-long operation to hunt down infiltrators who had slipped into the city.
“Ukrainian military are working in the city, and local residents are moving around. However, movement within the city is significantly limited, but it is possible to get to Pokrovsk,” the corps said in a statement.
Months of Infiltration
Russian forces had been attempting to infiltrate Pokrovsk using small infantry groups that exploited bad weather, dawn, and dusk to avoid detection by Ukrainian drones. The saboteurs wore thermal insulation capes to mask their heat signatures and received supplies via drone drops during their approach.
According to DeepState community analysts, Russian sabotage teams departed from Selydove in early July and took 14 days to reach Pokrovsk. Three groups of 50 soldiers each set out, but only about 30 saboteurs ultimately reached the city, with 120 out of 150 killed en route.
Unlike classical sabotage and reconnaissance groups, these infiltrators amassed in rear areas to conduct assault operations at a coordinated moment, supported by drones. Russian forces had concentrated more than 110,000 troops in the Pokrovsk area, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
Hunt for Infiltrators
Ukrainian units, including the 25th Airborne Brigade and the 425th Skala Assault Regiment, conducted clearance operations inside the city to locate and neutralize the remaining saboteurs. Most were killed, and some were captured, though the operation took nearly a month to complete.
The clearance represents a significant tactical success for Ukraine in holding one of the most contested sections of the eastern front, where Russia has focused its offensive efforts since capturing Avdiivka in February 2024.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 15 that Russian forces continue to suffer heavy losses as they push for territorial gains. The Pokrovsk direction has been described by British intelligence as Russia’s priority axis of advance in the Donetsk region.
Sources: Militarnyi; Kyiv Independent; RBC-Ukraine
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