Russian troops are closing in on Pokrovsk from the east and south. After the capture of Shevchenko village just south of the city, Russian forces are less than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from this key logistics hub sitting on the western edge of Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine's military leadership has replaced the commander overseeing defences in the eastern Donetsk region where Russian forces are making swift advances, a military official said on Saturday. General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy,

General Oleksandr Lutsenko has come in for severe criticism recently, amid reports Russian forces are less than two miles from the strategic city.