Fighters from Russia’s Center grouping managed to slip behind Ukrainian lines in Pokrovsk by moving at night without any camouflage, blending into the warmth of the asphalt. The tactic was described by Telman Uralbaev, commander of the 1st Motorized Rifle Battalion.

Uralbaev noted that the unit’s initial task was to reach the Shakhtersky district. According to him, the approaches varied: troops attempted to advance in daylight, in pairs, individually, or in small teams of three.

But it was the nighttime method that proved the most effective. He explained that fighters moved without ponchos or anti-drone coverings, simply walking along the road and using the darkness to get close to their objective. Once several small groups converged in the area, the assault phase began on the spot. Street by street, building by building, they pushed through the district.

On November 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the joint military grouping, where he was briefed on the capture of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Volchansk in the Kharkov region.