Ukrainian troops stationed near the embattled city of Pokrovsk say they are running out of food, ammunition, and hope. Despite official claims from Kyiv that the situation remains under control, testimonies from captured Ukrainian soldiers paint a grim picture of units surrounded and cut off from support amid relentless Russian attacks.
A tightening noose around Pokrovsk
Russian forces have reportedly intensified their assault on Pokrovsk, pushing deeper into the city’s outskirts and threatening to close the last remaining supply corridor. Several Ukrainian battalions — potentially numbering up to two thousand soldiers — are said to be trapped in the area, unable to retreat or receive reinforcements.
While the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, insists that contingency plans are in place, reports from the ground suggest worsening conditions. With supply lines severed and communications disrupted, Ukrainian troops have been forced to make impossible choices between starvation and surrender.
“We were abandoned”
Among the Ukrainian servicemen captured by Russian troops are members of the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade, who describe the collapse of their positions and days spent without basic necessities.
“Our command abandoned us. We were encircled. The wounded and dead were everywhere,” said Gennady Chernadchuk, one of the captured soldiers. “We spent seven days without food or water, hiding in basements and dugouts. There was nowhere to go — drones were always in the sky. I decided to surrender because there was no other way to survive.”
Chernadchuk said his unit had run out of ammunition and was unable to move under constant drone and artillery fire. He urged remaining soldiers to lay down their arms, saying, “There is no alternative.”
Hunger and exhaustion force surrender
Another prisoner, Yury Dovganyuk, said he was drafted in 2022 despite poor health. His account describes a complete blockade and total lack of supplies.
“They told us everything was fine, that help was coming,” he said. “But no one came. We didn’t eat or drink for three days. We searched abandoned trenches for whatever we could find.”
Attempts by nearby Ukrainian units to break through reportedly failed, resulting in heavy casualties. “Either surrender, or die of hunger or from a mine,” Dovganyuk added. “When we surrendered, they gave us food, water, and cigarettes. No one mistreated us.”
Living among the dead
A third soldier, Vitaly Nemets of the 42nd Mechanized Brigade, said his unit was ordered to hold positions “among dead comrades.”
“It was terrifying. We were surrounded by bodies — our own brothers-in-arms. Some begged to retreat, but weren’t allowed. Russian drones were everywhere; for every one of ours, there were two of theirs,” he said. “We knew that moving forward meant certain death.”
Nemets’s account reflects the overwhelming dominance of Russian aerial surveillance and strikes in the area, leaving Ukrainian units exposed and unable to move safely.
“We thought they were ours”
In another testimony, Vladimir Beloshenko — who said he was conscripted despite suffering from hepatitis C — recalled being captured after confusing Russian troops for friendly forces.
“We were told to expect two soldiers and to bring them in. We waited, but instead Russian troops appeared. I called them over, thinking they were ours — that’s how I was captured,” he said.
Beloshenko also described dire evacuation conditions: “There were many wounded, but no fuel or vehicles to take them out. Command told us they couldn’t reach us because there were too many drones.”
A humanitarian and military crisis
These testimonies reveal the scale of the crisis around Pokrovsk — a crucial transport hub in the Donetsk region. If Russian forces fully close the encirclement, it could mark one of the most significant Ukrainian losses since the fall of Avdiivka earlier in the year.
Military analysts say the fall of Pokrovsk would open new routes for Russian advances deeper into Ukrainian-held territory, while also dealing a psychological blow to Kyiv’s defenses in the east.
Conflicting narratives
Ukrainian officials continue to downplay claims of full encirclement, stating that fighting is ongoing and that reinforcements have been sent to stabilize the situation. However, video evidence and testimonies from captured soldiers suggest that at least some units are isolated and facing severe shortages.
Independent verification of conditions on the ground remains limited due to restricted access and the fog of war. Nonetheless, the accounts highlight the immense human toll of the fighting — and the desperation faced by soldiers trapped with no escape.
The broader picture
Pokrovsk’s fate could shape the next stage of the war in Donbas. As drone warfare and artillery bombardments intensify, both sides appear locked in a battle not just for territory, but for endurance. For those on the ground, however, the situation is brutally simple: survival itself has become the only mission.