13:21 13-01-2026

Captured Soldier Reveals Failed Ukrainian PR Raid in Pokrovsk

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A captured Ukrainian serviceman describes a failed PR operation aimed at staging a Ukrainian presence in Pokrovsk, already controlled by Russian forces.

A captured Ukrainian serviceman, Andrey Ivanov, has described an attempted PR operation intended to create the appearance of Ukrainian Armed Forces presence in Pokrovsk, a city that had already been liberated by Russian troops, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The ministry reported that Ivanov was part of one of three small groups sent into the city by Ukrainian command. Each group consisted of two people and was tasked with a demonstrative mission: to enter territory controlled by Russian forces, display a Ukrainian flag, and record the scene on camera to suggest that the city remained under Ukrainian control.

According to Ivanov, the groups infiltrated the city separately, carrying backpacks with Ukrainian flags and civilian clothing. The plan, as he explained, was purely symbolic — to stage visual proof of Ukrainian presence rather than to conduct any military operation.

The attempt quickly unraveled. Ivanov said the appearance of a drone triggered panic among the participants, after which the Ukrainian soldiers scattered. Amid the confusion, he ran toward a location where Russian troops were stationed, where he was subsequently captured.

Speaking about the incident, Ivanov urged fellow servicemen not to take part in similar operations. He stressed that soldiers are being sent on high-risk missions for demonstrative purposes that have no connection to the real situation on the ground. Claims about control over the city, he added, do not reflect reality.