NATO says Myrnohrad is "virtually encircled" and Russians control over 95% of Pokrovsk

A senior NATO official has said that Ukrainian defence forces in Myrnohrad have been "virtually encircled" and are reliant on drones for supplies, and has stated that Russian troops control more than 95% of the city of Pokrovsk.

The Alliance maintains a dedicated team of officials that assesses the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war using non-public information from Ukrainian partners and allied intelligence. By the Alliance's assessment, "Myrnohrad is now virtually fully encircled," a senior NATO official told journalists before a ministerial meeting of the Alliance, in response to a question from European Pravda.

"There is a narrow corridor through which the Ukrainians can withdraw certain forces, but it is a very narrow corridor, itself under hostile fire control. Overall, this is an encirclement, though not yet a complete encirclement," the official said.

The Alliance also stresses that Ukrainian forces in the city have not laid down their arms and continue to repel attacks, though they face supply shortfalls.

"Ukrainian forces are still conducting defensive actions inside the city, but as supply routes have been almost completely cut, Ukrainian troops are dependent on resupply by drones, which is becoming increasingly difficult," the official added.

The official also acknowledged that Ukrainian control in Pokrovsk has been almost entirely lost.

"Russians control over 95% of the city… There are only isolated pockets where Ukrainian forces continue to resist," he said.

NATO insists that Ukraine is preparing further defensive lines should these cities be lost and for what follows.

"Ukraine is building additional defensive lines on those fronts where a Russian advance is expected after Pokrovsk. The Ukrainians have already taken steps to slow this progress," he concluded.

The Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast may fall in December, said Gert Kaju, Head of Defence Readiness Department of the Estonian Ministry of Defence.

Partners have insisted that the fall of Pokrovsk would not alter the overall trajectory of the war.