The advance of Russian troops in the city of Pokrovsk

According to Isna, Moscow says that the capture of Pokrovsk – which Russian media refer to as the “Gate to Donetsk” – will allow them to move north towards the two largest Ukrainian-controlled cities in the Donetsk region – Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.

According to The Straits Times, Russia wants to take control of the entire Donbas region, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. Ukraine still owns about 10% of Donbas, that is, nearly 5,000 square kilometers.

Kiev has confirmed that the situation in Pokrovsk has worsened in recent days, but says its forces are still fighting and denies it is under siege.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the offensive units of the army continue to destroy the besieged units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the “eastern part of the central region and in the western industrial region”.

Russia added that over the past 24 hours, it captured 64 buildings in the city – which previously had a population of 60,000 – and repelled Ukrainian attacks from the Harishina area.

Russian forces are only a few kilometers away from completing the encirclement around Pokrovsk and the nearby city of Mirnohrad, and are also approaching Ukrainian forces in Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.

end of message