During the fighting for Pokrovsk, Russian forces resorted to unconventional tactics, including the use of captured Ukrainian Armed Forces radios to mislead the enemy. This was reported by company commander Alexander Rabotalov in a video released by the Ministry of Defense.

According to him, Russian troops conducted what he described as a «radio game,» transmitting false information over seized communication channels. As a result, Ukrainian units, unaware of the real situation on the ground, acted on misleading data and ended up striking their own positions.

Rabotalov added that intercepting Ukrainian radio communications also helped pinpoint the locations of their units. This intelligence was then relayed to drone operators and reconnaissance teams, allowing targets to be verified and subsequently destroyed.

Pokrovsk, a district center in the northwestern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, is a major transport hub. Key rail and road routes connecting Donetsk with the Dnepropetrovsk region pass through the city. It was taken under control in December 2025 by units of the «Center» group of forces.