Ukraine’s military stabilised the sector of the frontline around the town of Pokrovsk, where Russian forces have been attacking for months, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top military commander, said on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, Syrskyi wrote: “We’ve been able to stabilise the situation in this zone of operations… and in some places have seized back the tactical initiative.”
Pokrovsk is a logistics hub in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. It is surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, but is still held by Ukraine, despite months of intensive Russian attacks.
If Russia were to seize or encircle Pokrovsk, it would advance its aim of seizing the remaining part of Donetsk region that is not controlled by Moscow.
Late last year, some people living in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region said they were considering leaving, anticipating that Moscow would take Pokrovsk.
However, since the start of this year there have been only incremental changes in the front line around Pokrovsk.
Russia’s air defence units destroyed four Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow, the mayor of the Russian capital said early on Monday.
According to preliminary reports, there were no injuries or damage from the falling debris, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on social media. A total of 26 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory were destroyed overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said.
In addition to the drones downed on their approach to Moscow, 17 drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region and five over the Kaluga region, the ministry said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
The governors of the Kaluga region which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, and the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, said on social media that there were no injuries or damage reported.
Russia’s aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsia, said earlier it had halted flights at Domodedovo Airport, one of the key airports serving Moscow, for about 1.5 hours overnight to ensure air safety.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week declared a three-day ceasefire for May 8-10 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in World War Two, a move appeared aimed at signaling that Russia is still interested in peace.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
