The DIU landing in Pokrovsk gave Ukrainian forces time to enter the city and change the situation, Budanov said

The head of the Defence intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that the helicopter landing of DIU troops in Pokrovsk was the only possible way to turn around the critical situation in the city.

Budanov said this in an interview with Channel 24.

According to him, at that moment the Russian command had already reported to Putin that Pokrovsk had been captured. In particular, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, assured the Kremlin that the city was allegedly completely under Russian control.

However, the DIU operation made it possible to hold back the enemy and gain the time needed for the Defense Forces to arrive.

“The situation in and around Pokrovsk is extremely difficult. But at the same time, we are holding on… Why was this operation necessary at that moment and in that specific form (a helicopter landing of troops – “Glavkom”)? Because the situation was extremely tense and acute. You have to understand what it was like then. Nothing else would have worked. What we did allowed us to gain precious time so that the main units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine could reach the city to reinforce it,” Budanov explained.

After the successful operation, according to the head of DIU, Russian officials changed their rhetoric.

“After that, everyone in the Russian Federation stopped saying that ‘the city had been taken’ and began speaking about ‘advances,’ ‘successes,’ and ‘many battles in the city’,” he added.

Budanov emphasized that he did not personally command the airborne operation.

“The operation was commanded by the unit commander. I was there, helping him as much as I could,” he said.

The head of military intelligence expressed hope that combined political and diplomatic efforts, along with the work of the military, will stabilize the situation around Pokrovsk.

“I hope that the combined political and diplomatic efforts, the work of the military, and above all the soldiers in the trenches, will allow us to find the right way out of this situation,” Budanov added.

As of 20 November 2025, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released updated information on Russian losses resulting from the full-scale invasion.

Soldiers of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Anna of Kyiv successfully fought back against Russian units near Pokrovsk, using thick fog as natural cover.