Russian troops continue to advance in the direction of Pokrovsk, according to geolocated video footage published on November 2 and 3, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. According to the organization, these actions have not led to a change in control of the terrain, News.bg reports.
On November 3, a Ukrainian officer indicated that Russian forces are trying to build observation posts and concentrate personnel in the area of the city.
Earlier, on October 26, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops liberated the village of Kucheriv Yar between October 16 and 26. At the same time, ISW estimated that Ukrainian forces had also regained control of Zolotiy Kolodyaz, located northwest of Kucheriv Yar. Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Mashovets stated on October 31 that the village of Dorozhnye, southeast of Dobropyle, had also been liberated.
According to Russian and Ukrainian sources, fighting and Ukrainian counterattacks are continuing in the area around Mayak and Zapovedne (southeast of Dobropyle). There are no reports of clashes northeast and east of Dobropyle, suggesting that these territories are no longer directly disputed.
Ukrainian actions to cut off the Russian salient east of Dobropyle are likely to hamper Russian attempts to encircle Ukrainian forces around Pokrovsk. Commander-in-Chief General Alexander Syrsky said on November 3 that the Ukrainian army was increasing pressure on Dobropil, forcing Russian forces to redeploy parts of their troops and thus weaken their efforts in the Pokrovsk area.
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, reiterated the Kremlin's claim that Moscow's goal is to take control of all of Ukraine. In a November 3 statement published on his Telegram channels in Russian and English, Medvedev said that the more the West supports Kiev, the more of Ukraine's territory "will return to its native Russia." He called on Russian citizens and authorities to "return to the ancestral Russian lands." in Ukraine - a position that reflects President Vladimir Putin's long-standing rhetoric that Russia and Ukraine are one nation.
In a separate context, Russian MP Alexei Zhuravlev, deputy chairman of the State Duma's defense committee, commented on November 1 that Russia is a “key” military partner of Venezuela and supplies it with “almost the entire spectrum of weapons - from small arms to aircraft”.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Western partners continue to increase its military support. According to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, the United Kingdom has recently delivered new long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to ensure supplies before the winter of 2025-2026, when Russia is expected to step up its attacks on civilian targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on November 2 that Germany had helped acquire new Patriot air defense systems, which have already arrived in the country. He stressed that Ukraine still needs additional Patriot complexes to protect all key infrastructure facilities and cities. According to ISW, these systems are the only ones that can reliably intercept Russian ballistic missiles, and expanding their network would limit Moscow's ability to launch air strikes.
In Germany, meanwhile, new cases of unidentified drones near airports have been reported. On November 2, German police temporarily suspended flights at Bremen Airport after a drone was spotted, and on October 31, a similar incident halted traffic at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Authorities have not yet linked these incidents to Russian individuals. However, the incidents come amid increased Russian efforts to destabilize Europe and undermine NATO unity.