Russian forces are carrying out offensive operations in the direction of the strategic city of Pokrovsk, trying to cut off the supply lines of the Ukrainian army, Reuters reports, citing the Ukrainian military.
According to the source, the capture of the road and railway junction in the east of the Donetsk region can create serious problems for the Ukrainian army and allow Russia to strengthen and advance its front line to the west.
“The direction of Pokrovsk remains the hottest, and there the Russians attacked 34 times in the last 24 hours and tried to break through our defenses south of Pokrovsk,” Viktor Tregubov, the spokesman of the Ukrainian “Khortisia” group, said in an interview with Ukrainian National Television, Reuters reports. .
According to the official, the Russian forces are trying to capture the city not as a result of heavy urban battles, but by bypassing the city, interrupting the logistical chains.
Pokrovsk is one of the largest centers of coal industry in Ukraine. Before the war, the population here was about 60 thousand, according to Ukrainian official sources, now about 11 thousand people live in the city.