Ukraine says troops standing firm outside key hub city

The Advertiser

2 days ago

Ukraine's top military commander says his forces are standing firm in defending a key city on the eastern front of the three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised Ukraine's forces in their defence of Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Donetsk region that has weathered months of Russian attempts to capture it in their troops' slow advance westward.
Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday said he had presented a report to the president describing the challenges facing Ukrainian troops along the 1000-km front.
"Most attention was focused on the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka sectors, where our soldiers are courageously containing intense pressure and destroying the Russian aggressor," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"The enemy is continuing to deploy its tactic of small infantry groups, but has proved powerless on its attempts to seize Pokrovsk. Today, they tried to break through with sabotage groups but were exposed and destroyed by Ukrainian defenders."
Zelenskiy, in his account of the commander's report, singled out for praise those defending Pokrovsk, particularly from sabotage groups "trying to advance and enter Ukrainian cities and villages. No such Russian group will have a chance of survival."
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Zelenskiy appointed a new Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and put her predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, at the head of the Defence Ministry. The outgoing Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, was named chairman of the National Security and Defence Council and told to "intensify" peace talks with Russia.
Russia's military has been advancing through Donetsk region, with the Russian Defence Ministry announcing almost daily the capture of villages on the approaches to Pokrovsk. The capture of one such village, Popiv Yar, was announced on Thursday.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian air defence units repelled Russian drones on Friday evening. Fragments from one intercepted drone fell on a dwelling in an eastern suburb, but no injuries were reported. Ukraine's top commander says troops standing firm outside key city
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
Zelenskiy told the New York Post this week that he and Trump were considering a deal for Washington to buy battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.
The Ukrainian government under Svyrydenko is expected to shore up ties with the Trump administration, which has grown increasingly critical of Russia since it stepped up air strikes on Ukraine.
Svyrydenko is well-known in Washington, having negotiated a high-level deal offering the US preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth that will feed a reconstruction fund.
Medvedev, who has emerged as one of the Kremlin's top hawks, said Russia planned to intensify its strikes on Ukraine.
"Strikes against targets in so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force", Medvedev said.
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry, including Patriot missile defence systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missiles.
He also gave Russia 50 days to sign up to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.
Ukraine's top military commander says his forces are standing firm in defending a key city on the eastern front of the three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised Ukraine's forces in their defence of Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Donetsk region that has weathered months of Russian attempts to capture it in their troops' slow advance westward.
Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday said he had presented a report to the president describing the challenges facing Ukrainian troops along the 1000-km front.
"Most attention was focused on the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka sectors, where our soldiers are courageously containing intense pressure and destroying the Russian aggressor," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"The enemy is continuing to deploy its tactic of small infantry groups, but has proved powerless on its attempts to seize Pokrovsk. Today, they tried to break through with sabotage groups but were exposed and destroyed by Ukrainian defenders."
Zelenskiy, in his account of the commander's report, singled out for praise those defending Pokrovsk, particularly from sabotage groups "trying to advance and enter Ukrainian cities and villages. No such Russian group will have a chance of survival."
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Zelenskiy appointed a new Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and put her predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, at the head of the Defence Ministry. The outgoing Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, was named chairman of the National Security and Defence Council and told to "intensify" peace talks with Russia.
Russia's military has been advancing through Donetsk region, with the Russian Defence Ministry announcing almost daily the capture of villages on the approaches to Pokrovsk. The capture of one such village, Popiv Yar, was announced on Thursday.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian air defence units repelled Russian drones on Friday evening. Fragments from one intercepted drone fell on a dwelling in an eastern suburb, but no injuries were reported. Ukraine's top commander says troops standing firm outside key city
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
Zelenskiy told the New York Post this week that he and Trump were considering a deal for Washington to buy battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.
The Ukrainian government under Svyrydenko is expected to shore up ties with the Trump administration, which has grown increasingly critical of Russia since it stepped up air strikes on Ukraine.
Svyrydenko is well-known in Washington, having negotiated a high-level deal offering the US preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth that will feed a reconstruction fund.
Medvedev, who has emerged as one of the Kremlin's top hawks, said Russia planned to intensify its strikes on Ukraine.
"Strikes against targets in so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force", Medvedev said.
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry, including Patriot missile defence systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missiles.
He also gave Russia 50 days to sign up to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.
Ukraine's top military commander says his forces are standing firm in defending a key city on the eastern front of the three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised Ukraine's forces in their defence of Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Donetsk region that has weathered months of Russian attempts to capture it in their troops' slow advance westward.
Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday said he had presented a report to the president describing the challenges facing Ukrainian troops along the 1000-km front.
"Most attention was focused on the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka sectors, where our soldiers are courageously containing intense pressure and destroying the Russian aggressor," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"The enemy is continuing to deploy its tactic of small infantry groups, but has proved powerless on its attempts to seize Pokrovsk. Today, they tried to break through with sabotage groups but were exposed and destroyed by Ukrainian defenders."
Zelenskiy, in his account of the commander's report, singled out for praise those defending Pokrovsk, particularly from sabotage groups "trying to advance and enter Ukrainian cities and villages. No such Russian group will have a chance of survival."
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Zelenskiy appointed a new Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and put her predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, at the head of the Defence Ministry. The outgoing Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, was named chairman of the National Security and Defence Council and told to "intensify" peace talks with Russia.
Russia's military has been advancing through Donetsk region, with the Russian Defence Ministry announcing almost daily the capture of villages on the approaches to Pokrovsk. The capture of one such village, Popiv Yar, was announced on Thursday.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian air defence units repelled Russian drones on Friday evening. Fragments from one intercepted drone fell on a dwelling in an eastern suburb, but no injuries were reported. Ukraine's top commander says troops standing firm outside key city
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
Zelenskiy told the New York Post this week that he and Trump were considering a deal for Washington to buy battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.
The Ukrainian government under Svyrydenko is expected to shore up ties with the Trump administration, which has grown increasingly critical of Russia since it stepped up air strikes on Ukraine.
Svyrydenko is well-known in Washington, having negotiated a high-level deal offering the US preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth that will feed a reconstruction fund.
Medvedev, who has emerged as one of the Kremlin's top hawks, said Russia planned to intensify its strikes on Ukraine.
"Strikes against targets in so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force", Medvedev said.
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry, including Patriot missile defence systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missiles.
He also gave Russia 50 days to sign up to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.
Ukraine's top military commander says his forces are standing firm in defending a key city on the eastern front of the three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised Ukraine's forces in their defence of Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Donetsk region that has weathered months of Russian attempts to capture it in their troops' slow advance westward.
Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday said he had presented a report to the president describing the challenges facing Ukrainian troops along the 1000-km front.
"Most attention was focused on the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka sectors, where our soldiers are courageously containing intense pressure and destroying the Russian aggressor," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"The enemy is continuing to deploy its tactic of small infantry groups, but has proved powerless on its attempts to seize Pokrovsk. Today, they tried to break through with sabotage groups but were exposed and destroyed by Ukrainian defenders."
Zelenskiy, in his account of the commander's report, singled out for praise those defending Pokrovsk, particularly from sabotage groups "trying to advance and enter Ukrainian cities and villages. No such Russian group will have a chance of survival."
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Zelenskiy appointed a new Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and put her predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, at the head of the Defence Ministry. The outgoing Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, was named chairman of the National Security and Defence Council and told to "intensify" peace talks with Russia.
Russia's military has been advancing through Donetsk region, with the Russian Defence Ministry announcing almost daily the capture of villages on the approaches to Pokrovsk. The capture of one such village, Popiv Yar, was announced on Thursday.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian air defence units repelled Russian drones on Friday evening. Fragments from one intercepted drone fell on a dwelling in an eastern suburb, but no injuries were reported. Ukraine's top commander says troops standing firm outside key city
Syrskyi issued his report at the end of a week of upheaval in the government, now focused on boosting domestic arms production.
Ukraine has reported some successes in pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent months. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub used to supply other frontline towns.
Most of Pokrovsk's pre-war population of 60,000 has been evacuated. Ukraine's only mine that produces coking coal - used in its once vast steel industry -- lies idle outside the city.
Zelenskiy told the New York Post this week that he and Trump were considering a deal for Washington to buy battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.
The Ukrainian government under Svyrydenko is expected to shore up ties with the Trump administration, which has grown increasingly critical of Russia since it stepped up air strikes on Ukraine.
Svyrydenko is well-known in Washington, having negotiated a high-level deal offering the US preferential access to Ukraine's mineral wealth that will feed a reconstruction fund.
Medvedev, who has emerged as one of the Kremlin's top hawks, said Russia planned to intensify its strikes on Ukraine.
"Strikes against targets in so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force", Medvedev said.
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry, including Patriot missile defence systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missiles.
He also gave Russia 50 days to sign up to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.