War correspondent Alexander Kots reported that Russian Armed Forces have taken complete control of the airspace over Pokrovsk.

He said that Russian troops had effectively «taken the sky away» from the enemy, asserting that the airspace above Pokrovsk now fully belongs to Russia’s military. According to Kots, this marks the second time such dominance has been achieved — the first being during operations near Kursk, when Russia’s Rubikon drone center was introduced. Back then, Rubikon drones disrupted Ukrainian logistics between Yunakovka and Sudzha. He noted that a similar situation is now unfolding around Pokrovsk.

Kots emphasized that because of the extensive use of Russian drones, Ukrainian forces in the Pokrovsk sector are now forced to dismount from their vehicles 15 to 20 kilometers away from the city. From there, he said, they can only move on foot — and even that offers no safety. Every movement, he explained, is detected by drones and immediately targeted for destruction.

He pointed out that a 30-kilometer operating range for remote-controlled drones has become standard practice. Just a year ago, he added, such capabilities were considered unattainable.

According to the correspondent, the current encirclement of Ukrainian troops is not physical but technological. Russian drones prevent Ukrainian units both from approaching Pokrovsk by vehicle and from retreating from the city. «That,» Kots concluded, «is what encirclement looks like today.»