Russians are gaining ground in eastern Ukraine

ZOOM

Russian forces are concentrating their strikes and troops on the city of Pokrovsk, a strategic railway junction in the Donetsk region. After more than a year of fighting, this urban area, once home to 60,000 people, is now largely in ruins, with fewer than 1,300 civilians remaining. The city has become one of the main hotspots of fighting on the front line, with nearly half of Russian glide bomb attacks targeting this area, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Despite resistance from Ukrainian units that continue to defend certain neighborhoods, Russian troops have managed to advance, anchoring themselves in the southwest and gaining ground on other axes. Pokrovsk now appears to be the largest urban center in danger of being captured by Russia since the fall of Bakhmut in May 2023. If taken, the road would be open to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the last major cities held by Ukraine in the Donbas, a region that Vladimir Putin has been targeting for years.

The battle has come at a high human cost for both sides. While Russia is sacrificing many soldiers to advance, Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of troops and has to move its units in response to enemy breakthroughs, exposing the front line to new risks of breaches, according to some officials.

The civilian population continues to dwindle, with evacuations remaining difficult amid the fighting. The situation also remains tense in towns near Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which are now within range of Russian drones. With winter approaching, the fighting is likely to intensify, imposing further hardships on the civilian population. The New York Times

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