Russia has launched an assault on Pokrovsk to cut supply lines, according to the Ukrainian military

Russian military operations continue to intensify near the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, as they aim to encircle it from the south and disrupt supply lines to Ukrainian forces, according to the Ukrainian military on Saturday. Securing control over this critical road and rail junction in the eastern Donetsk region could pose significant challenges for the Ukrainian army on the eastern front and enable Russia to bolster and extend its front lines westward.

“The Pokrovsk area remains the most active, with Russian forces launching 34 attacks in the last 24 hours in an attempt to breach our defenses south of Pokrovsk,” stated Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Khortytsia military group, during an interview with Ukrainian national television. The city, which previously had a population of approximately 60,000 and is home to a mine that exclusively supplies coking coal to Ukraine’s once-thriving steel industry, now has an estimated 11,000 residents remaining.

Trehubov noted that Russian troops are attempting to obstruct supply routes by deploying small units to towns south of Pokrovsk. “They avoid direct engagement in the city to evade intense urban combat. Instead, they seek to circumvent the city and disrupt logistical operations,” Trehubov explained. He added that Ukrainian forces are employing drones and precision munitions to thwart Russian attempts to achieve their objectives.