Dec 9 (Reuters) – Ukrainian troops have been holding parts of the beleaguered city of Pokrovsk since mid-November, but some units were ordered to withdraw from impractical positions outside the city in the past week, Ukraine’s top commander was quoted as saying on Tuesday. But Oleksandr Syrskyi, speaking to Ukrainian journalists, said the situation around […]
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Top Ukrainian commander: Troops hold part of Pokrovsk but have withdrawn from some positions
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Dec 9 (Reuters) – Ukrainian troops have been holding parts of the beleaguered city of Pokrovsk since mid-November, but some units were ordered to withdraw from impractical positions outside the city in the past week, Ukraine’s top commander was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
But Oleksandr Syrskyi, speaking to Ukrainian journalists, said the situation around Pokrovsk, a logistics centre virtually destroyed after many months of Russian attacks, remained difficult with Russia massing a force of 156,000 around it.
Syrskyi, quoted by public broadcaster Suspilne, said Ukrainian forces had made gains from mid-November. Russia’s military last week said its forces had captured Pokrovsk, but Ukrainian officials denied the claim.
“Initially, in autumn, our troops were not present in Pokrovsk as our possibilities were limited. But from Nov. 15 as a result of offensive action, we secured about 13 sq. km. (5 sq. miles),” Syrskyi said.
“We are continuing to hold the northern part of the city, approximately up to the rail line. In addition, to the west of Pokrovsk, we have cleared and control about 54 sq. km.”
Russian troops, he said, were staging a build-up in the area under cover of rain and fog.
“At the same time, I gave an order a few days ago to withdraw our troops from about 5-7 km (3-4 miles) from Pokrovsk, where they had remained,” he said. “Rotation was no longer possible and the enemy was slipping through. There was no point in keeping them there any longer.”
Pokrovsk has been the focus of a long, slow drive by Russian forces through Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow announcing the capture of new villages several times a week.
Last month, it said its forces had also seized the largely destroyed town of Kupiansk further north, a claim also denied by Ukraine’s military.
In his own account of the meeting with journalists on Telegram, Syrskyi said Russia was using disinformation to distort the situation and pose an additional to danger to his troops “in the areas where they have restored control.”
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese and Nick Zieminski)