Thick fog has enabled Russian troops to move further into the key strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's 7th Airborne Assault Corps says weather conditions, particularly dense fog, have prompted Moscow to intensify its bid to get increasing numbers into the ruined city and encircle Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces have spent more than a year trying to seize the city, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky states that the fog has favored Russian attacks and the situation remains difficult.
Meanwhile, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has warned that the situation on the front line in the southeastern Zaporzhzhia region has significantly worsened, with the loss of three settlements.
Syrskyi indicated that Russia is most active around Pokrovsk. Viral videos on social media depict Russian soldiers driving through a hazy road on civilian vehicles and motorbikes. The BBC has verified the location where the video was filmed as the southern outskirts of the town on the Selidove-Pokrovsk highway.
Fog has considerably reduced visibility for aerial reconnaissance. A drone pilot from the 68th brigade noted that Russians were emboldened to launch attacks using columns of vehicles, which would normally be targeted from above by Ukrainian forces.
Currently, approximately 300 Russian soldiers are reported to be in Pokrovsk, a number that initial reports indicated had likely risen from earlier estimates. Russian troops appear to be closing in on major parts of Pokrovsk, with some analysts suggesting that its fall is imminent.
Moscow is attempting to encircle Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad as part of a broader strategy. Although Ukrainian troops have pushed back in some areas, the risk of isolation for Ukrainian forces in the city increases as Moscow works to cut logistical routes vital for support.
As hostilities escalate, both sides are adapting their tactics, with reports indicating that Russian forces have been successful in infiltration operations, aiming to create chaos among Ukrainian defenses.
