Moscow says Pokrovsk has fallen, Ukrainian forces said to be surrounded

The Russian Ministry of Defence has released a video purportedly showing Russian soldiers patrolling the ruins of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. The footage shows deserted streets with burnt-out apartment blocks and soldiers moving unopposed, suggesting control over the south of the city.

Pokrovsk has been a strategic target for Russia for more than a year, as it is located on an important supply route and opens the gateway to the two largest cities in the Donetsk region that remain under Ukrainian control - Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

According to Russian maps, Pokrovsk is currently under their control and Ukrainian troops are reportedly under siege in nearby Myrnohrad.

The Ukrainian side has not yet commented on these allegations. Ukrainian maps show Pokrovsk as a grey zone not under the control of either side, and Myrnohrad as a town that is not completely surrounded.

The video may be part of an information war, but it would be a significant shift on the front if it is proven to be true.

(reuters, swag)