Camilla Jessen
Partisans say Kremlin masking casualties amid heavy fighting.
Russian forces are reportedly disguising heavy casualties in the battle for Pokrovsk by recording fallen soldiers as having gone AWOL, according to Kyiv Post, which cites the Atesh partisan movement.
The allegation comes as Ukrainian troops say they have eliminated dozens of Russian fighters while continuing defensive operations in a city that remains a strategic priority for Vladimir Putin.
Atesh operatives claiming to have infiltrated Russia’s 30th Mechanized Brigade say commanders created separate internal lists with hundreds of names, categorizing the dead as deserters.
According to the partisans, troops are told that “AWOL is easier than explaining to relatives where the body is,” a tactic they say is being applied to soldiers killed in disorganized assaults as well as those shot by Russian barrage detachments.
The movement reports a sharp rise in such falsified entries over the past year, warning that the practice is eroding morale, trust and discipline across units.
Fighting intensifies around Pokrovsk
Ukrainian communications officer Serhii Lefter told RBC Ukraine that Russia has introduced operational reserves in a bid to take the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad urban area. “If it were easy to capture Pokrovsk, they would have done it already,” he said.
Ukrainian forces hold the northern districts, while Russian units have stabilized in parts of the south, creating a fluid front with ongoing raids and clearing operations.
Lefter said Ukrainian troops have eliminated around 60 Russian soldiers and wounded more than 40 since early December.
Fog and rain have hindered drone reconnaissance, and Russian attempts to move heavy armor into the city have largely failed, with many vehicles destroyed.
Lighter equipment is now being moved more quietly, while artillery positioned to the south continues to strike Ukrainian lines.
Civilians remain in the city, though current numbers are unclear.
Encirclement efforts and propaganda claims
Pokrovsk is a central focus of fighting in Donetsk, where Colonel Vladislav Seleznyov estimates Russia has more than 140,000 troops deployed. Ukraine is opening new supply routes to prevent isolation.
Despite a Russian video showing a flag raised in the city center on Dec. 1, Kyiv insists those troops were pushed out and says Moscow staged the footage for propaganda.
“Attempts by the occupiers to create propaganda illustrations are leading to significant losses,” the military said.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War argue Russia is exaggerating gains to pressure Western countries. Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps has similarly dismissed Russian claims near Lyman as “fictitious achievements.”
Sources: Kyiv Post; RBC Ukraine; Ukrainian military; Institute for the Study of War.
