About half of Russian assaults across a 1,000km- (620-mile-) front have focused on the town of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine’s east, throughout the past week.The town is considered to be a gateway to the most heavily fortified areas left in Ukraine’s hands in the region of Donetsk.
Last week, Ukrainian commanders reported that large numbers of Russian forces were amassing there for a concerted push to take the town, which has held out for a year.
“The enemy is trying to advance around the clock,” Maksym Bakulin, a spokesman for the Ukrainian National Guard units fighting in Pokrovsk, told Army TV on Tuesday.
Russian forces were going back to using heavy armour and vehicles after a period of infantry attacks, he said.
“Previously, they often sent [troops] on foot, now in most cases they bring them closer, land them and try to fight under the cover of artillery and multiple launch rocket systems,” added Bakulin.
He said Russian forces incurred heavy vehicle losses in the process.
On Wednesday, Ukraine also claimed the Russian military lost 1,670 men in 24 hours, updating its estimated toll of Russia’s wartime losses to 834,670 soldiers. Advertisement
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