Ukrainian forces are trying to stop the intensifying Russian offensive in the area of the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Reuters reported, citing statements from the Ukrainian army and observers, BTA reported.
In recent weeks, Russian troops have approached the key logistics center after stubbornly advancing for more than a year. According to Kiev, Russia has suffered significant losses of manpower in the course of its offensive.
In a post published today on the "Facebook" platform A statement from the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of Ukraine's Airborne Assault Troops states that Russia has deployed around 11,000 troops in an attempt to surround most of the Pokrovsk area. Groups of Russian soldiers have already managed to penetrate the besieged city and are trying to advance further north and northeast, the text says.
The publication also states that about 27,000 Russian soldiers, nearly 100 tanks, almost 260 armored combat vehicles, and about 160 artillery systems and mortars are concentrated in the 7th Corps' area of responsibility.
The defenders of Pokrovsk, a large urban center and its surrounding settlements, continue their defensive operation.
Over the past two days, 90 Russian servicemen have been killed and 42 others wounded in the 7th Corps area. Ukrainian forces destroyed one armored vehicle, three infantry fighting vehicles, three vehicles, and one motorcycle. A total of 158 drones were intercepted. Ukrainian forces have neutralized 18 Russian servicemen in the city of Pokrovsk, the 7th Corps said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that about 200 Russian servicemen had infiltrated various parts of the city, Reuters recalls. Zelensky noted that it was critical for Moscow to capture Pokrovsk to show that it had an advantage on the battlefield.
Capturing Pokrovsk, as well as the northeastern city of Konstantinovka, would open Moscow's path to the two largest cities in Donetsk, which are still under Ukrainian control, Reuters notes.
The Ukrainian project to map the battlefield in Ukraine based on publicly available sources "Deep State" (Deep State) published information that Russia managed to cut off a military logistics route to neighboring Mirnograd through infantry ambushes and drone attacks. "Deep State" warns that in order to stop further penetration of enemy forces into Pokrovsk, Ukraine will have to deploy an entire brigade, not small units.
"The situation in Pokrovsk is almost critical and continues to deteriorate, and at some point it may be too late to fix everything," the "Deep State" points out. The site also posted footage showing Ukrainian forces destroying a Russian flag that had briefly been raised above the city gates.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the information about the battlefield.
Moscow has stepped up its military offensive amid stalled U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end the four-year war, Reuters noted. The Kremlin has repeatedly made it a condition for starting peace talks that all of Donbass be brought under Russian control. Kiev has rejected such an option.
Zelensky told reporters on Monday that Russia’s more than a year-long effort to seize Pokrovsk shows it is unable to achieve its goal of establishing military control over the rest of the region. "That is why the fact that we hold Pokrovsk and that they continue to postpone their plans… proves to the world that they are lying," Zelensky concluded.