Russian troops capture and destroy some Ukrainian positions close to Pokrovsk [Video]

Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine.

After months of accelerating advances toward Pokrovsk, Moscow’s forces are now as close as three kilometres from the southern outskirts of the city, according to Ukraine’s DeepState, which maps the front lines using open sources.

“As a result of prolonged clashes, two of our positions were destroyed, one was lost. Currently, measures are being taken to restore positions,” Nazar Voloshyn, Ukraine’s military spokesperson for the eastern front, said in televised comments.

The fall of Pokrovsk, an important logistics centre for the Ukrainian military, would amount to the biggest military setback for Kyiv in months. The city also hosts a mine which is Ukraine’s only domestic coking coal supplier for its once-giant steel industry.

Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi…