Russian and Ukrainian troops clash fiercely in Pokrovsk

(CLO) Russian and Ukrainian troops fought fiercely on November 4 in the strategic town of Pokrovsk, which Russia has been determined to capture for more than a year.

The Ukrainian military said heavy fighting was taking place in a key part of the town, which is key to Kiev’s frontline logistics, adding that special forces had arrived there and were bringing in more weapons and equipment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spent the day visiting troops near Pokrovsk and surrounding areas, including Dobropillia, where Ukrainian troops are conducting a counteroffensive against Russian troops.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits troops near Pokrovsk. Source: Telegram/Zelenskyy

Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Mr Zelenskyy said military commanders had reported on "the stability of the defense line and coordination with neighboring units... We paid attention to strengthening defenses and providing soldiers with everything they need".

The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had “liberated” 35 buildings from Ukrainian troops. It also said Russian forces were tightening the siege on Ukrainian troops near the town of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, about 160 km (100 miles) to the north.

However, on Monday, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian army reaffirmed in comments to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that no military units were surrounded in the Pokrovsk region.

DeepState's war map shows Russian troops (red) advancing deep into Pokrovsk.

DeepState, a Ukrainian project that maps the frontline using verified open-source imagery, said Tuesday that Russian forces had pushed deeper into Pokrovsk and its environs, though much of the area remained gray—meaning neither side had clear control. “The situation remains critical,” DeepState said in an update published Tuesday evening.

They say there are areas in Pokrovsk where Russian troops are digging tunnels and building positions. DeepState says it is no longer possible to contain Russian troops south of the town and at least one nearby settlement may have also been lost.

Before the war, Pokrovsk had a population of about 60,000, but most civilians have long since fled. Capturing the town could pave the way for Moscow to advance on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the two largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled urban areas in the Donetsk region, which Russia has annexed and wants full control of.

Source: https://congluan.vn/quan-doi-nga-va-ukraine-giao-chien-du-doi-o-pokrovsk-10316649.html