Intense Fighting Continues in Eastern Ukraine as Russia Targets Pokrowsk

Ukrainian forces face escalating Russian attacks near Pokrowsk, prompting leadership changes and heightened drone warfare.

Russian forces have launched sustained attacks on the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrowsk, reportedly encircling it from three sides.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed General Mykhailo Drapaty as the new commander for the Donbass region to bolster military coordination.
Economic motivations are believed to be driving Russia's focus on Pokrowsk, a town with significant coal mining infrastructure.
Ukrainian forces claim to have struck a drone warhead depot in Russia's Oryol region, reportedly destroying around 200 Shahed drones, though this remains unverified.
Russian drone swarms have targeted multiple regions in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv, as air defenses work to intercept them.