Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian army said, quoted by “Reuters” and BTA.
According to the Ukrainian monitoring organization “Deep State” the Russian army is now almost 3 kilometers from the southern outskirts of the city.
„As a result of prolonged fighting, two of our positions were destroyed and one was lost. "Measures are currently being taken to restore the positions," said Ukraine's military spokesman for the eastern front, Nazar Voloshin. He added that Pokrovsk has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in this conflict for months now.
In October and November, the Russian army advanced at its fastest pace since the start of the war, analysts say. While Russia's progress has been remarkable, there has been much talk of the possibility of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia recently, especially after US President-elect Donald Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire and a quick end to the war.
Kiev, however, has called on its allies to help Ukraine take as strong a position as possible on the battlefield before negotiations begin. According to Ukraine, Russia has over 70,000 soldiers of the Pokrovsk direction and quickly advanced towards Shevchenko – a village south of Pokrovsk. Currently, Russian forces are trying to invade the village, sending reconnaissance and sabotage groups, which are being held back by Ukrainian troops, Voloshin said.