Kyiv Deploys Special Forces Amid Infiltration Reports in Pokrovsk
Kyiv has dispatched special forces units too Pokrovsk, Ukraine, to locate and neutralize Russian infiltrators, according to statements released in late October and early November. The deployment follows reports of increased Russian activity aimed at destabilizing the region.
This escalation occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions surrounding Russia’s missile capabilities, particularly the 9M729 - a missile that prompted the United States to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. Washington maintained the 9M729 violated the treaty’s 500-kilometer range limit, a claim Russia denied. The missile has a range of 2,500 kilometers, according to the Center for Strategic and international Studies (CSIS). A Russian 9M729 strike on Ukraine on October 5 traveled over 1,200 kilometers to its impact point.
Andrii Sybiha, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated, ”Russia’s use of the INF-banned 9M729 against Ukraine in recent months demonstrates lack of respect [of President Vladimir Putin] towards the United States and President Trump’s diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.“
William Alberque, of the Pacific Forum think tank, suggested the 9M729 deployments are intended to increase pressure during Ukraine negotiations, noting the missile is “designed to strike targets in Europe.“
Recent Russian military activity includes testing of the nuclear-powered Bourevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo. On October 5, Reuters documented debris from a Russian strike on the village of Lapaivka – over 600 kilometers from Russian territory – revealing fragments marked 9M729, including a tube containing cables. Four people were killed in the attack.
The White House has not publicly commented on the 9M729 launches. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, on October 26, ordered the U.S. military to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing programs in “other countries.“
