Doha: Ukraine, Monday, deployed new military reinforcements to the strategic city of Pokrovsk, east of the country, as fighting intensified there following Russian groups’ infiltration into the city that serves as a key hub for transportation and supply lines in the Donetsk region.
According to Qatar News Agency, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that about 200 Russian soldiers had infiltrated the city in small groups over the past several hours, sparking fierce clashes using light weapons and drones in residential neighborhoods and around the train station.
It added that Ukrainian forces were fortifying their positions to prevent Russian troops from advancing northward or cutting off the city’s vital overland supply routes.
The statement highlighted that the situation in Pokrovsk is developing rapidly, noting that airborne units were participating in repelling the ongoing Russian assault, and that Ukrainian drones were being used to carry out precision strikes against concentrations of Russian forces around the city.
For months, Russian forces have been attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses in Pokrovsk, a major logistical hub on the Donetsk front and a strategic objective for Moscow, as Pokrovsk is a vital transportation and military supply center in eastern Ukraine with a network of railways and major depots, serving as a link between the eastern and southern fronts.
This escalation comes as talks between Moscow and Kyiv have remained suspended for months, with both sides continuing to trade accusations over who is responsible for the diplomatic deadlock, while military operations remain intense on multiple fronts since the war began on February 24, 2022.