"Russia sees Pokrovsk as a gateway to the remaining unoccupied parts of Donetsk, the region it has already claimed as its own in September 2022. Hus, a drone squad commander from the 68th Jaeger brigade on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, told the Reuters news agency, Here, one building is held by our side, the next occupied by the enemy, and in a few hours it swaps."
"It did appear, however, that the Russians were slowly gaining ground. Ukrainian troops told Reuters the defence of Pokrovsk was steadily deteriorating, despite the army's efforts to reinforce it. Russia's Ministry of Defence said its troops were advancing through Pokrovsk in house-to-house battles. A Ukrainian unit commander said Russia was leading its assault with Spetsnaz special forces who were looking for Ukrainian mortar firing crews and drone units, aiming to neutralise them and ease the passage of reinforcements."
Russian forces have pressed into the eastern Ukrainian towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, concentrating intense fighting there. Almost half of the battles on a 1,200km front are occurring in the two towns, with about 150,000 Russian troops committed, roughly a quarter of Russia's force in Ukraine. Russia considers Pokrovsk a gateway to remaining unoccupied parts of Donetsk. The frontline is fluid amid a Ukrainian corruption scandal, with frequent capture and recapture of neighbourhoods and buildings. House-to-house fighting has given Russians slow gains, with Spetsnaz targeting mortar crews and drone units to open routes for reinforcements. Ukrainian defenders retain a northern stronghold in Pokrovsk.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]