CW Column: The War in Ukraine

Photo Source: Reuters
   NIAS Course on Global Politics
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
For any further information or to subscribe to GP alerts send an email to subachandran@nias.res.in

CW Column: The War in Ukraine
Escalating battles in Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk under intense pressure

  Padmashree Anandhan
14 November 2025

What happened this week?
On 9 November, Ukraine’s Military Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted that the situation in the Zaporizhzhia region had “significantly worsened,” with Russian forces taking advantage of their numerical strength to capture three settlements near Oleksandrivka and Huliapole. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) confirmed some of these advances with geolocated footage, while Russian sources reported additional, yet unverified, gains throughout the 1,000-kilometre front. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s DeepState military blog mentioned the emergence of “grey zones” where control is uncertain.

Over the weekend, Russia launched a massive offensive involving over 450 drones and 45 missiles, resulting in the death of at least seven people and damage to energy facilities in Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions, despite most projectiles being intercepted. A second external power line to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was restored, which allows the cooling systems to function and helps prevent a potential meltdown, although the plant is still inactive.

On 10 November, the fighting in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, intensified. Russian troops reportedly tightened their control over the city amidst street battles, though Ukrainian forces denied claims of being encircled and stated that reinforcements were on the way to stabilize the situation near Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Ukrainian soldier Artem Karyakin noted that Russian troops were visible “in every district,” and analysts cautioned that Kyiv might be repeating past mistakes by delaying tactical withdrawals.

On the same day, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that Russia’s offensive in Pokrovsk and the troop buildup near Vovchansk in Kharkiv are part of a larger strategy to showcase battlefield gains, possibly to sway US political opinions. The ISW indicated limited Russian advances aimed at bringing Kharkiv within artillery range, while Ukrainian forces claimed to have eliminated Russian soldiers attempting to raise a flag in Vovchansk. Zelenskyy stressed that Ukrainian units are still holding their ground around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia, while General Syrskyi confirmed that Russia had amassed 150,000 troops in its effort to take Pokrovsk, which is “the gateway to Donetsk.”

On 11 November, as per reports in Ukrinform, Ukraine ramped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, hitting oil facilities deep within Russia and in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted a major refinery in Volgograd, along with the Hvardiyska oil depot in Crimea, which disrupted fuel supply lines for Russian military operations. Additional strikes impacted Saratov and Orenburg, causing damage to the Orsk refinery.

On 12 November, Western countries reinforced their support for Ukraine. Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent to work together on weapons technologies in Ukraine, potentially leading to the acquisition of up to 150 Gripen E fighter jets. Germany has increased its aid to EUR 11.5 billion for the 2026 budget, while the UK introduced new sanctions limiting services for Russian LNG exports, aligning with a wider EU ban set for January 2027.

What are the issues?
First, Russia makes advances in Zaporizhzhia while Ukraine struggles to counter. Russian forces have made some gains near Oleksandrivka and Huliapole, creating grey zones where control is unclear. The ongoing fighting, along with repeated missile and drone strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure, highlights the difficulties Ukraine faces in stabilizing this strategically important area.

Second, Pokrovsk has become a critical battleground in eastern Ukraine. With around 150,000 Russian troops concentrated nearby, the city is seen as the “gateway to Donetsk.” While street fighting is fierce, Ukrainian forces are managing to hold essential positions, rotating and resupplying troops, making it a true test of Kyiv’s tactical resilience against a focused Russian offensive.

What does it mean?
Looking ahead, the ground scenario remains unpredictable for Ukraine, with Russian troops concentrating in key cities and launching relentless drone and missile attacks. This indicates a prolonged conflict of attrition. Over the years, Ukraine has improved its targeting capabilities against Russia and Russian-occupied territory; however, the front-line gains still remain limited.


About the author
Padmashree Anandhan is a Project Associate at NIAS.

Print Bookmark

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
December 2023 | CWA # 1189

Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.

Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
December 2023 | CWA # 1187

Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.

Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
December 2023 | CWA # 1185

Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
December 2023 | CWA # 1183

Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.

Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
December 2023 | CWA # 1178

​​​​​​​Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.

China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
December 2023 | CWA # 1177

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.

China and East Asia
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan