Russian forces edge closer to a key eastern Ukraine city in intense fighting, officials say

Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s top military commander says fighting around a key eastern Ukraine city is “extremely intense” after a monthslong Russian push. Analysts estimate Russian forces are now within just a few kilometers, or miles, of Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s General Staff said on Thursday that Ukrainian troops repelled nearly 40 Russian attempts to storm defenses around Pokrovsk over the previous 24 hours. Ukraine’s stretched defenses in Donetsk have been creaking since early this year under a fierce Russian drive. Russian forces are trying to overwhelm Ukraine’s battlefield defenses with sheer numbers of troops and powerful glide bombs that blast fortifications to smithereens. Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.