Russian forces advance towards strategic city in Ukraine's east

13/12/2024 16:17

Russian forces are just 1.5 km (1 mile) outside the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk after Russian units pushed up from the south towards the road and rail hub which had a pre-war population of 60,000 people, a prominent pro-Russian blogger said on Friday.



Russia controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion, according to open source maps.



Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said Russian forces were now just 1.5 km from the city after a push from the south.

Podolyaka said members of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, special forces which penetrate the front ahead of the advance, were already in the city.



Ukraine's military said in recent days that Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the city.



The fall of Pokrovsk, an important logistics centre for the Ukrainian military, would be one of Ukraine's biggest military losses in months.