russian President Vladimir Putin's December 2, 2025, reported claim that the russian Ground Forces have taken complete control of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is almost certainly inaccurate. It is likely that Ukrainian forces retain a limited capability to launch small-scale raids into the northern part of the city, contesting full russian control, and delaying russian efforts at consolidation, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
The russian Ground Forces are continuing intensive efforts to envelop Pokrovsk, which previously served as a key Ukrainian logistics hub supporting operations in the Donbas and likely remains russia's priority axis. Russian forces highly likely occupy the majority of Pokrovsk and are contesting the remainder.
Read more: UK Defense Intelligence Reveals Ukraine Targets russian Massive Drone Stockpile
Russian forces have sustained heavy casualties over an extended period in offensive operations on the Pokrovsk axis, contributing to the likely more than 250,000 russian soldiers killed or missing (presumed dead) since russia launched its illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian forces have continued the defense of the city itself over a period of months, despite being quantitively overmatched.
As Defense Express previously reported, russia has likely sustained approximately 382,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the war so far in 2025, and approximately 1,168,000 casualties since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Read more: UK Defense Intelligence: russian Forces Sustained an Estimated 382,000 Killed and Wounded in 2025 Alone
