Russia lost 25,000 soldiers in October 2025 during its failed push to capture Pokrovsk. The majority of those deaths occurred in the Donetsk oblast, with Ukraine’s FPV drone strikes playing a decisive role. Zelenskyy claims the kill count is based entirely on confirmed video evidence, and the real number may be closer to 28,000. Ukraine’s new “Army of Drones Bonus System” has helped gamify drone warfare and contributed to the record-breaking toll.
POKROVSK NOVEMBER 11: Russia lost 25,000 soldiers in October 2025 during its failed push to capture Pokrovsk, according to a November 7 statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The majority of those deaths occurred in the Donetsk oblast, with Ukraine’s FPV drone strikes playing a decisive role.
Pokrovsk, formerly known as Krasnoarmiisk until 2016 and Grishino until 1934, is a city and the administrative center of Pokrovsk Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. During the 2014–2022 War in Donbas, the city was near the frontline with the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic.
Zelenskyy claims the kill count is based entirely on confirmed video evidence, and the real number may be closer to 28,000. On November 3, The Guardian reported that Ukraine’s new “Army of Drones Bonus System” has helped gamify drone warfare and contributed to the record-breaking toll.
The deadliest month for Russian troops since the 2022 invasion reflects deep issues inside the Russian military. From reports of abandoned wounded to the deployment of infected and terminally ill soldiers, Russia’s tactics in Pokrovsk resemble a war of exhaustion.
The Atlantic Council and CNN warn that while Ukraine is holding ground for now, Russia’s infiltration-heavy strategy may still make gains. Whether Pokrovsk falls or not, the cost has already been catastrophic for Moscow.
