Russia making gains in Pokrovsk; Vladimir Putin invites journalists to verify
Map showing areas annexed by Russia from Ukraine
(Public domain via Wikipedia)
Russia continues to fight Ukraine and has been making territorial gains on the battlefields. It is now close to taking over Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region:
Russia prepares to take strategic Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk
Updated 10/30/25
Russian forces are close to taking the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk after a pincer movement almost totally encircled it while small groups of highly mobile Russian units penetrated the city, according to Russian military bloggers.
Most people have now fled, all children have been evacuated and few civilians remain. It lies on a key road which has been used by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine’s only mine producing coking coal – used in its once vast steel industry – is around six miles (10 km) west of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest said in January it had suspended mining operations there.
Russia wants to take the whole of the Donbas region, which comprises Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. Ukraine still controls about 10% of Donbas – an area of about 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) in western Donetsk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Donbas is now legally part of Russia but Kyiv and the West reject Moscow’s seizure of the territory as an illegal land grab.
Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk” by Russian media, and Kostiantynivka to its northeast which Russian forces are also trying to envelop, would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk – Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-prepares-take-strategic-ukrainian-city-pokrovsk-2025-10-29/
30 October 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Wednesday (October 30, 2025) that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in two key eastern cities of Ukraine and offered to negotiate a deal for their surrender. Ukrainian military officials vigorously denied the claim. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/putin-claims-russian-troops-have-surrounded-2-ukrainian-cities-but-ukraine-says-thats-not-true/article70219620.ece
To bolster Russia’s statements about Pokrovsk, Vladimir Putin has invited international journalists to come in and verify this:
Putin Invites Journalists To Watch ‘Thousands Of Trapped Ukrainian Troops’ In Encircled Zone
It seems the Kremlin wants to show the world just how bad the situation is for Ukrainian forces along the frontlines in the east of the country, at a moment Russian infantry troops have already penetrated parts of the city of Pokrovsk.
On Wednesday in live televised remarks President Putin said that Russia is ready to let journalists into Ukraine’s encirclement zone. Speaking from the Central Military Clinical Hospital in Moscow alongside Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Putin declared that “In two places – in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmiysk [the Kremlin’s name for Pokrovsk] – the enemy has been blocked, in encirclement.” He said of Western journalists, “let them see with their own eyes what’s going on.”
This was offered as pushback against recent reports from Western media and NATO officials who have by and large downplayed or denied recent Russian gains. Also, the Ukrainian government has flatly rejected that the two cities are encircled, saying it’s not true.
For example, below is US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker saying this week that Russia looks “very weak” currently. “At every single turn, the Russians are not showing from a position of strength – they actually look very weak right now,” he claimed.
But Putin has made a rare overture, saying the Russian side is ready to stop fighting in this area near Pokrovsk for as long as media representatives are there. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-invites-journalists-watch-thousands-trapped-ukrainian-troops-encircled-zone
Here is some information related to the city now called Pokrovsk:
Pokrovsk (Ukrainian: Покровськ, IPA: [poˈkrɔu̯sʲk] ⓘ; Russian: Покровск), formerly known as Krasnoarmiisk[a] (until 2016) and Grishino (until 1934),[b] is a city and the administrative center of Pokrovsk Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located 56 kilometres (35 mi) northwest of Donetsk. (Pokrovsk. Wikipedia, accessed 10/30/25)
Now, some aspects of Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ have reminded me of the USA’s civil war.
The South wanted to be independent of the North; Ukraine’s post-Maidan coup government wanted to cutoff more ties with Russia.
The North objected to slavery in the South. Russia objected to the overthrow of the elected government in Ukraine as well as how Russian-speakers in the east were treated.
The North sent in troops. Russia sent in troops.
The South fought off the North beyond certain expectations. The Ukrainians have fought off Russia beyond certain expectations.
The North, with more people, more money, and more military, changed tactics to press the South to surrender.
Russia, with more people, more money, and more military, changed tactics to gain more territory to press Ukraine to surrender territory.
It took the North a while to attain ‘victory,’ but in time its advantages won out.
It has taken Russia a while to attain ‘victory,’ but it has gained territories, and time looks to be to its advantage.
As long time readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, because of prophecies related to the “kings of the Medes” in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Fall of 2013 I wrote that Russia would end up with some territory that Ukraine claimed.
In 2014, Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and become part of Russia. Russia later accepted and annexed the territory, which it had long wanted. Crimea has been a fairly poor region that felt neglected and discriminated against by the western portion of Ukraine. Many in the Donbas region also have felt neglected (or worse) by western Ukraine and have long wanted to be closer to Russia. It should be noted that the USA and some of its allies called the referendum in Crimea to be part of Russia some type of a sham, yet the reality is that the majority in Crimea wanted to be part of Russia. On March 18, 2014, when Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia (https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-to-visit-crimea-to-mark-five-years-since-).
Many of those in Crimea (other than the Tartars) and in the Donbas region believed that they would be better off with Russia who wanted them, than Kiev who claims to want to keep them but apparently had not shown them enough signs that it would truly be able to help them.
The USA would not accept the vote by the Crimeans primarily because it seems to want to stop Russia from expanding. The USA pushed for international sanctions with Europe, many of which still remain, in an effort to hope Russia would release Crimea to Ukraine.
The USA’s position seemed to be based mainly on politics as opposed to its professed belief in democracy.
Even though the USA and many in Europe have wanted Russia to leave Crimea, on March 18, 2019, I posted:
It remains my view that Crimea and at least parts of eastern Ukraine will ultimately align with Russia.
International sanctions will not stop biblical prophecies from being fulfilled. (Thiel B. ‘Putin in Crimea as Russia Marks Five Years Since Annexation’ the ‘Kings of the Medes’ will arise. COGwriter, March 18, 2019)
And the events of the past few years confirmed my view that sanctions would not stop Russia from having territories align with it. The various sanctions announced by the USA and the Europeans look to be political punishment, as opposed to being announced by those who seriously believe that they will get Russia to cede the Donbas region back to Ukrainian control (it would probably take a pro-Russian government in Kiev for Russia to do that).
Here is something posted here from 2014:
As ‘independent states’ Donetsk and Luhansk may enter into some type of joint confederation with each other or Russia. If the forces from Kiev decide to attack, they will likely fight and ask for help from Russia.
Donetsk and Luhansk may vote to be annexed by Russia, like Crimea did. Or at minimum decide to ask to be part of Vladimir Putin’s Eurasian Union.
The Bible has several end time prophecies concerning the Medes (Isaiah 13:17-19) and the kings of the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11, 28-29) that involve military action. Various ones in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia, and elsewhere are part of the descendants of the Medes, as likely are some in Moldova.
Alliances consistent with end time Bible prophecy are in the process of forming. (Thiel B. Eastern Ukraine votes for independence: Kiev upset, Russia pleased. COGwriter, May 12, 2014)
Several years back, Russia’s president declared he had recognized and accepted the Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic as independent nations (see I365: Right before Messiah, US will fight Russia and China will capitalize, rabbinic “prophecy” reveals’ COGwriter: No, that is not what the Bible teaches). Then on 30 September 2022, Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas in an address to both houses of the Russian parliament.
As I posted here in February 2025:
The longer the conflict continues, the less territory that Ukraine will have.
No matter what Ukraine’s leadership currently thinks, at least parts of Ukraine are going to ultimately support Russia (cf. Jeremiah 51:11, 28).
That has been happening.
The Bible foretells a time when the “Kings of the Medes” will get together (Jeremiah 51:11, 28)–and some now have. Many in Russia, Ukraine, and even Moldova have descent from the ancient Medes.
On the Sabbath of February 5, 2022, which was before Russia’s troops entered Ukraine, I did a sermonette where I mentioned that lands associated with Ukraine would end up being confederate with Russia:
The situation between Russia and Ukraine has again heated up, although it has been tense since the Euromaiden protests and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. There was later a separation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church. Is war prophesied for Russia and Ukraine? Are prophecies in the Bible associated with the ‘kings of the Medes’ and a power from the “north country” related to any in Russia and Ukraine? Is a confederation of powers from the north, east, and central Asia prophesied to destroy the coming end time European Babylon? Will the destruction be reminiscent of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? How is the King of the North and who will destroy him? Do those in Russia and Ukraine have a hope of salvation? Will Russia and powers of the east be involved in the gathering in Armageddon as prophesied in Revelation 16? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues.
Here is a link to our video: Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy.
Since that came out, more territories that Ukraine once controlled are now controlled by Russia.
While Ukraine has put up a lot of resistance to Russia’s Special Military Operation, Russia is larger and has more troops, etc.
Many seem to forget that Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons and could use them in Ukraine if it thought Ukraine was going to push Russia completely out.
Remember that Jesus taught:
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. (Luke 14:31-32)
Ukraine may wish to reconsider where it is at to see if now it believes it should attempt to make a deal with Russia.
Russia is not going to cede back to Ukraine all the territory it has control over.
World events continue to align with properly understood biblical prophecies.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
 |
Tweet |
|