Russian troops are making a concerted push in eastern Ukraine and have gained a foothold in the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says.
Moscow's soldiers outnumber Kyiv's 8-1 in the area and Ukraine cannot match that, Zelensky added while insisting Russia had not yet 'achieved the planned result.'
Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for two years. The key supply and transport hub provides supplies and reinforcements to the eastern front - and it would get Moscow closer to occupying the entirety of the Donetsk region.
It would also put towns of the heavily fortified 'fortress belt' - Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka - within easier reach of Moscow.
Zelensky said drone imagery showed that around 200 Russian soldiers were inside Pokrovsk.
Describing the situation as 'difficult', he said earlier that there was widespread fierce fighting and 'sabotage groups' had entered the town.
However, he rejected reports by Russia's Chief of General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, that Ukrainian troops had been completely surrounded.
In an update on Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry said its forces had encircled Ukrainian troops around the main railway station and cleared the city's Troyanda district of Ukrainian forces.
One soldier from Ukraine's 155th Brigade, Artem Pribylnov, rejected the notion that Ukrainian troops had been encircled in a 'cauldron' at Pokrovsk.
But the war has changed and it's very technological now, he said. In previous assaults, there had been a path out of the cauldron that troops could drive in and out of, but now drones controlled access points, which made it 'extremely dangerous'.
According to Capt Hryhoriy Shapoval, spokesperson of Ukraine's East operational group, 79 attacks had been repelled near Pokrovsk since Monday - almost a third of the total 218 assaults recorded across the entire front line. He added that Russian troops had concentrated a large number of troops and equipment near Pokrovsk and that they were using armoured vehicles to cover their infantry.
'So it's hard to stop them,' he said, emphasizing the challenges faced by Ukrainian forces due to difficult weather conditions affecting drone operations.
The situation in and around Pokrovsk highlights the high stakes involved in controlling this strategic location, as both sides adapt their tactics amid the ongoing conflict.
Last week, Ukrainian media reported that Russian forces were engaging in street battles and targeting Ukrainian positions, including drone operators. The conflict has resulted in a change in warfare dynamics, driven by technological advancements.
Heading into nearly five years since Russia's full-scale invasion, the conflict remains fierce with Moscow currently occupying about 20% of Ukrainian territory. President Zelensky expressed the urgent need for financial support from European allies to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Despite assurances, the lack of concrete action on freezing Russian assets has complicated Ukraine's financial prospects, a situation Zelensky hopes to address with upcoming international diplomacy.
