According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia is continuing its offensive against Pokrovsk, carrying out around 60 strikes in the Pokrovsky district today.
“Ukrainian defenders are doing everything in their power to hold their defense lines and positions,” it said.
Here we look at why Russia considers the city of Pokrovsk a top priority target.
City
Pokrovsk was a road and railway hub with a pre-war population of 60,000.
The town is on a main road used by Ukrainian forces to supply other fighting strongholds they hold, such as Khashiv Yar and Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast.
To the west of it are Ukraine’s largest coking coal mines, which were crucial to the pre-war economy.
Why does Russia want that?
Moscow sees taking Pokrovsk as a key stepping stone towards annexing the entire Donetsk region.
Russian media have called it the “gateway to Donetsk” and say it will allow Moscow to seriously disrupt Ukrainian supply lines along the eastern front and step up the operation to seize the city of Khashiv Yar.
Shashib Yar itself is located on higher ground, potentially giving it control over a larger area.
Restricting Ukrainian forces’ access to the nearby road network would also make it more difficult for them to secure territory on either side of Pokrovsk.
Effects of the war
Residents continue to evacuate to the west by rail and road, but some are hesitant to evacuate.
Windows have been boarded up or blown out and roofs, balconies and facades are badly damaged.
Residents say electricity and water have been cut off for a long time.
Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadim Filashkin said that as of August 19, 53,000 people, including about 4,000 children, still lived in the Pokrovsk region.
