KYIV: Ukraine’s top military commander said on Saturday (Nov 1) that its forces had been nonetheless holding out in Pokrovsk, regardless of Russian claims that troops had been encircling the japanese metropolis in a long-awaited pincer motion.
“We’re holding Pokrovsk,” Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi mentioned on Fb. “A complete operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.”
Moscow has sought to seize Pokrovsk, referred to as the “gateway to Donetsk”, since mid-2024 as a part of its push to grab full management of the Donetsk area, which it claims to have annexed. The town, as soon as dwelling to 70,000 individuals, has been largely destroyed after greater than a yr of fierce preventing.
POKROVSK REMAINS A FLASHPOINT
Russia’s Defence Ministry mentioned its troops had killed 11 members of a Ukrainian particular forces unit despatched by helicopter to bolster defences inside the town. A Ukrainian navy official denied the declare, saying the operation was “persevering with.”
The ministry’s Zvezda outlet additionally launched a video claiming to point out Ukrainian troopers surrendering, although Reuters couldn’t confirm the footage.
Ukraine’s navy mentioned the state of affairs in Pokrovsk “stays troublesome and dynamic” however that its troops had “improved their tactical place” in some metropolis quarters.
In line with open-source knowledge compiled by Deepstate, Russian troops management a small southern part of Pokrovsk, whereas a lot of the metropolis stays a contested “gray zone.”
Russia mentioned its forces additionally repelled a Ukrainian breakout try from the close by city of Hryshyne, northwest of the town, an space essential for Ukrainian provide routes.
