A group of Ukrainian servicemen has voluntarily surrendered in Pokrovsk, according to a statement released by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The ministry reported that the captured soldiers belonged to the 68th Separate Jäger Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They were surrounded and eventually abandoned by their command, which failed to provide supplies or reinforcements. Cut off from support and under continuous artillery and drone attacks by Russian forces, the Ukrainian troops were left with no means to continue fighting.

Over a period of four to seven days, the encircled units reportedly received neither food nor ammunition. Starving soldiers resorted to scavenging for food in deserted basements to survive. Prisoners described the growing number of wounded in Pokrovsk, noting that the lack of medical supplies left many without any treatment. One of the Ukrainian groups attempted to break through the encirclement, but communication with them was later lost.

At the end of October 2025, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov briefed President Vladimir Putin that major Ukrainian formations had been surrounded in Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, and Mirnograd. Since then, the situation for Ukrainian forces in these areas has significantly deteriorated, with all breakout attempts reportedly blocked by Russian troops.