Image Credentials: Image Title: Ukrainian Forces Say Azov Corps Repelled Major Russian Mechanized Assault Near Pokrovsk. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: July 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies
Ukrainian forces say they repelled a large-scale Russian mechanized offensive involving formations from two field armies and a tank division in the Pokrovsk district of the Donetsk region.
According to Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, the assault took place on July 22 in the area defended by the 1st Azov Corps.
Pivnenko said Russian units deployed dozens of armored and light vehicles in an effort to break through Ukrainian positions near the village of Shakhove. The claims and reported casualty figures have not been independently verified.
The advance of two armies and a tank division of the Russian armed forces was repelled: forces of the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine destroyed dozens of units of equipment and a large number of occupier personnel.
On July 22, the occupiers, using forces of the… pic.twitter.com/QZaccQ5Ohu
— First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine (@azov_media) July 25, 2026
Russian formations advance from two directions
In a statement published on Telegram, Pivnenko said the attack involved forces from Russia’s 8th and 41st Combined Arms Armies, as well as the 90th Guards Vitebsk-Novgorod Tank Division.
According to his account, units of the 41st Army and the 90th Tank Division advanced from the Novoekonomichne area, while forces belonging to the 8th Army moved from the direction of Vozdvyzhenka.
The Russian formations reportedly attempted for around four hours to enter settlements near Shakhove, an area located within the wider Pokrovsk sector.
Pokrovsk remains one of the most heavily contested parts of the eastern front, where Russian forces have repeatedly attempted to advance through mechanized assaults, infantry attacks and sustained artillery pressure.
Drones and long-range fire support the assault
Pivnenko said Russian forces attempted to protect the advancing columns with Gerbera and Lancet unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Lancet is a loitering munition widely used by Russian forces against Ukrainian artillery, air-defense systems, vehicles and fortified positions. Gerbera drones have also been used in reconnaissance, strike and air-defense saturation roles.
The Ukrainian commander also reported that a Russian Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket system supporting the offensive was destroyed during the fighting.
The Tornado-S is a modern long-range rocket artillery platform capable of firing guided and unguided munitions against targets well behind front-line positions.
Mines and airstrikes disrupt Russian advance
According to the National Guard commander, Ukrainian forces prepared mine and explosive barriers along the approaches to their positions before engaging the mechanized columns.
He said Ukrainian tactical aviation also damaged bridges and crossing points used by the attackers.
Russian forces reportedly attempted to restore the damaged routes by installing pontoon crossings during the assault. Pivnenko said those pontoons were subsequently destroyed by aircraft from the Ukrainian Air Force.
The disruption of bridges and temporary crossings can be decisive during large mechanized operations, as armored columns depend on reliable routes to maintain momentum, receive reinforcements and evacuate damaged vehicles.
Ukraine reports heavy Russian equipment losses
Pivnenko said the Russian assault was stopped through the coordinated use of conventional artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems and strike drones.
According to the Ukrainian account, the defending forces destroyed:
- seven tanks;
- six armored fighting vehicles;
- one BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system;
- one Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket system;
- three pieces of specialized equipment;
- 47 light vehicles.
He also claimed that 123 Russian troops were killed and another 29 wounded.
These figures were presented by the Ukrainian side and could not be independently confirmed. Russia had not immediately issued a detailed public account of the operation or the reported losses.
Multiple Ukrainian formations involved
Pivnenko credited the defense to the coordination of several Ukrainian military and security organizations operating under the command structure of the 1st Azov Corps.
He said the operation involved units from the Azov formation, the Security Service of Ukraine’s Alpha Special Operations Center, the Unmanned Systems Forces and the Ukrainian Air Force.
Border Guard units, including the Phoenix unmanned systems department, also participated, alongside other National Guard and Armed Forces formations deployed in the sector.
The fighting illustrates the increasingly integrated nature of modern battlefield operations in Ukraine, where drones, aircraft, mines, artillery and electronic surveillance are combined to disrupt large armored attacks.
Pokrovsk front remains under intense pressure
The wider Pokrovsk area has been a major focus of Russian offensive operations in the Donetsk region.
Russian commanders have sought to advance toward key roads and logistics centers supporting Ukrainian forces across the eastern front. Control of settlements around Pokrovsk could place additional pressure on Ukrainian supply routes and defensive lines.
Ukraine has responded by reinforcing the sector, expanding drone operations and using layered defensive positions to slow Russian movement.
Large mechanized attacks remain costly for both sides, especially when vehicles are forced into predictable routes by minefields, damaged bridges and difficult terrain.
The reported July 22 battle suggests that Russia continues to commit substantial formations to the area despite the risks posed by Ukrainian drones, artillery and tactical aviation.
Independent confirmation remains limited
Battlefield accounts from both Russia and Ukraine are often difficult to verify immediately, particularly regarding personnel losses and the number of vehicles destroyed.
Images, drone footage and geolocated recordings may later provide further evidence about the scale of the assault and the equipment involved.
For now, the Ukrainian account describes one of the more significant recent mechanized attacks in the Pokrovsk sector, with the Azov Corps and supporting formations claiming to have halted the operation before Russian forces could penetrate the targeted settlements.