Kyiv, 31 October (H.S.): Ukraine's military high command on Friday acknowledged a difficult situation developing around the strategic eastern town of Pokrovsk amid an escalating Russian assault, but firmly refuted Moscow's claims that Ukrainian forces have been encircled.General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, stated that Russian activity is increasing, with enemy infantry massing in the urban area.

The situation is difficult, he wrote in a Telegram post after visiting the front, but he dismissed reports of a Ukrainian blockade as untrue propaganda. General Syrskyi emphasized that the primary objective is to identify and destroy amassing Russian troops while prioritizing the preservation of Ukrainian soldiers' lives.

The general's assessment counters recent declarations from Russia's chief of general staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, who claimed Ukrainian units in Pokrovsk were surrounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky identified Pokrovsk as Russia's main target, stating that his troops are outnumbered by an eight-to-one margin.

He contended that Moscow seeks a battlefield victory there to project an image of Ukrainian weakness to the United States.Independent military analysis groups have underscored the severity of the engagement. The defense intelligence firm Sybelline described the battle as having entered a highly dynamic and intense phase.

A Ukrainian monitoring group, Deepstate, warned that the situation is on the brink of crisis as Russian forces use their numerical advantage to gradually engulf the town and disrupt supply lines.The capture of Pokrovsk, a key transport and supply hub in the Donetsk region, would be a significant tactical achievement for Russia, potentially enabling a further offensive toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in the region.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar