No Russian advance near Zvirove in Pokrovsk sector – Ukrainian military

He stated this in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent.

According to Bielskyi, Russian forces continue attempts to infiltrate toward Pokrovsk along the notional Zvirove-Chunyshyne line.

"They reached that line back in the summer but have been unable to move further. And this is despite overwhelming numerical superiority – each Ukrainian brigade faces two to three enemy brigades. At the same time, the occupiers keep pulling in reserves," he said.

He stressed that Ukrainian forces have been holding the defense of Pokrovsk for nearly a year – since October 2024. Over this period, more than 60,000 Russian troops have been eliminated.

"The approaches to the city are littered with the bodies of 'liberators' and destroyed enemy equipment," the spokesperson said.

Bielskyi also noted that Ukrainian units are taking many Russian soldiers prisoner.

"Some surrender out of necessity, for example, when caught in an exposed position, out of ammunition, or wounded. Others surrender out of fear, after a few shots or a grenade thrown by our troops," he said.

According to him, many of the captured soldiers had been coerced or deceived into signing contracts. These include people from former Soviet republics forced into Russian citizenship, individuals under criminal investigation and threatened with arrest or confiscation of property, indebted citizens, as well as Ukrainians from occupied territories.

"As a rule, they are completely unmotivated and lack sufficient military training. Some prisoners say they had never served before and their preparation consisted of just a week at a training ground," Bielskyi said.

He said that experienced Russian troops cynically refer to such soldiers as "disposables" – comparing them to single-use items: used once and discarded.

"A well-known Russian saying on the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad defensive line has taken on a new meaning: 'We don't abandon our own… we set up our own.' These 'disposables' are ordered, for example, to move toward a nearby village or tree line allegedly already under Russian control. A group of two to four soldiers sets out – only to be met with Ukrainian fire," he said.

According to Bielskyi, Russian commanders use "disposables" to identify Ukrainian firing positions. Dozens are also pushed into infiltration attempts through Ukrainian defenses, but 70-80% are eliminated en route by Ukrainian drones, artillery, and infantry.

Spokesperson for the Dnipro Operational and Strategic Group of Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksii Bielskyi. Photo: Denys Denysenko