KYIV, Ukraine — Fierce fighting continues to engulf the eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian forces press a prolonged campaign to seize this industrial hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Once home to some 60,000 people, Pokrovsk has weathered more than a year and a half of relentless bombardment. Now, the battle for the city has entered a critical phase. Western military analysts say Russian troops have steadily edged into Pokrovsk’s southern outskirts, wearing down Ukrainian defenses and using worsening late-autumn weather to move men and equipment closer to the front. The fight, they note, has settled into a grinding contest of attrition that has stretched Ukrainian units thin. “The main problem is logistics,” said Artem, a Ukrainian drone operator fighting near Pokrovsk, who asked to be identified only by his first name. “The roads are completely choked by Russian drones. No vehicle can enter or leave the city without being immediately detected.” Even in those conditions, Ukrainian formations, including those from the 25th, 7th, and 68th brigades, continue to hold parts of Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad, a small city locate
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