Russian troops grind towards Pokrovsk, take second Ukrainian town in a week

Russia has seized a second town in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk within a week in a months-long offensive that shows no signs of abating with Ukraine’s general staff reporting more than 150 assaults a day across the front.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its troops captured Hrodivka, a town lying on its path to Pokrovsk, which Ukrainian generals say is a major target.

Russian forces entered Hrodivka in early September. Its capture came just five days after the fall of Vuhledar on the Donetsk-Zaporizhia border.

Russia’s air campaign has also been in full swing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia dropped 800 glide bombs and sent almost 400 drones and 20 missiles into Ukraine last week.

“This daily aerial terror can be stopped. This requires the unity of partners and long-range [weapons],” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy has asked his allies to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles to strike Russian airfields from which glide bombs are dispatched on board Tupolev-95 bombers.

Russia has warned of dire consequences should allies allow Ukraine to strike hundreds of kilometres inside Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did so again on Tuesday.