Newly posted video shows Ukrainian intelligence special forces landing in the stronghold of Pokrovsk with a Black Hawk helicopter, before being hit by a Russian FPV drone.
The Russian Ministry of Defense today announced that it had prevented a helicopter landing by a special task force of the General Directorate of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) in an area about one kilometer northwest of Pokrovsk stronghold in Donetsk province. “All 11 soldiers deployed from the helicopter were killed,” the agency said.
Lost Armor, an intelligence analysis site based on public sources based in Russia, on the same day published a video from a reconnaissance drone showing a Ukrainian UH-60 Black Hawk multi-purpose helicopter landing in an open field. Geo-referenced data shows the site is located on the northwestern outskirts of the Pokrovsk stronghold.
The Ukrainian special forces group landed troops and were attacked by Russian drones in a video released on November 1. Video: Lost Armour
A group of Ukrainian soldiers landed from a helicopter and marched to a nearby area, while the UH-60 took off and left. In the next images, Russian suicide first-person drones (FPV drones) continuously attack Ukrainian soldiers moving in the forest and hiding in some houses.
News agency Reuters Quoting two anonymous sources in the Ukrainian military, they confirmed that the operation took place a few days ago, directly supervised by GUR leader Kyrylo Budanov.
“This unit is aiming for positions held by the enemy in the inner city. The activities of Russian drones have caused difficulties for the task force,” said a source in the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Force.
The remaining source stated that the special forces group was not killed and that Ukrainian forces continued the operation to stabilize the situation in Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian army has not commented on the information.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 31 directly mentioned the city of Pokrovsk in his daily speech. “We will continue to destroy the enemy. The most important thing is to prevent Russian attacks whenever possible,” he said.
Location of GUR special forces landing troops (green) and Russian controlled area in Pokrovsk – Mirnograd. Graphics: Lost Armour
Pokrovsk has an area of nearly 30 square kilometers, is an important logistics center and one of Ukraine’s main strongholds in Donetsk province. If Russia controls the city, it will weaken Ukraine’s defenses and supply capabilities, helping them get closer to their goal of controlling the entire Donetsk province.
Over the past two months, the Russian army has created a large pincer to encircle Pokrovsk and Mirnograd, because the two cities are closely linked logistically. Ukrainian experts and media warn that the collapse of the defense line in one of the two cities will lead to a chain effect, causing the remaining city to be completely surrounded and fall quickly.
Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on October 30 that this country’s units are strengthening and stabilizing the defense line in the city, protecting supply and evacuation routes. “Russian infantry usually avoids fighting, concentrates in the inner city and frequently changes positions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and foreign experts expressed pessimism about the Pokrovsk situation. Deep State, an analytical group affiliated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, commented that “developments in Pokrovsk are approaching disaster and are continuously deteriorating, posing a risk that the situation cannot be saved.”