Russian sabotage groups active inside Pokrovsk per Ukrainian commander

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) operator is seen detained a suspected Russian spy, Aug. 16, 2022. (SBU photo via Wikimedia Commons)

DOBROPILLYA, Ukraine  -  Russian sabotage groups are operating inside the embattled eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, where forces from both sides have clashed, said the commander of a Ukrainian drone unit.

Dmytro Lavro, a deputy commander in Ukraine's 25th Airborne Brigade, said fighting rages "on the ground and in the sky" for the city, a strategic hub for Kyiv's forces on the eastern front.

"The enemy is putting pressure on us (and) we are doing our best to repel them," he said. "At the moment, we are evenly matched."

Russia has been attacking Pokrovsk for many months as it grinds out incremental gains in the east and south of Ukraine. Open source maps showing Russian military positions indicate the city is being gradually surrounded in a pincer movement.

Lavro added that the proportion of Ukrainian-made drones and ammunition had increased since 2023, the result of Kyiv's efforts to scale up its burgeoning domestic defence industry.

 (Writing by Dan PeleschukEditing by Gareth Jones // REUTERS)