Russia attempting to break through toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, military says.

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Russian forces are attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk Oblast toward the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, a spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces told the Kyiv Independent on July 24. "All Russian attempts to advance are met with fierce resistance," Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn added. The sector near Pokrovsk in the west of Donetsk Oblast has become the hottest part of the front as Russian forces expend significant resources to break through toward this key logistics hub.

Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said earlier this week that Russia continues to push toward it despite suffering heavy losses. "As of this morning, in the Pokrovsk direction, our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the areas of Panteleimonivka, Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Prohres, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske, and Yasnobrodivka," Voloshyn said in a written comment for the Kyiv Independent.

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War Notes

"Heavy battles continue" as Russia seeks to dislodge Ukrainian units with ground assaults and heavy shelling, he added. Moscow's troops are also reportedly attempting to develop an offensive west of the occupied and deserted cities of Avdiivka and Marinka to make their way toward Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

Russia captured Marinka in December 2023 and Avdiivka two months later after both cities were largely destroyed in heavy battles. "Russia threw a lot of forces into the capture of the village of Ocheretyne, so they can rush the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway from there" to capture this vital route, Voloshyn said. Over the past day, Russia suffered 329 soldiers killed and wounded and lost 14 units of equipment, including a Su-25 attack aircraft and a tank, according to the spokesperson.

Another tank and six artillery pieces were heavily damaged, he added. The crowd-sourced monitoring website DeepState reported that the situation in the Pokrovsk sector has become serious in recent days. According to DeepState, Russia captured Prohres - a village over 23 kilometers (15 miles) east of Pokrovsk - over the weekend and is now attempting to encircle Ukrainian units nearby.

The claims could not be independently verified. Last week, Ukraine confirmed its withdrawal from the village of Urozhaine in the southwestern part of Donetsk Oblast "to preserve the lives and health of our personnel" due to the village's complete destruction by Russian forces.

Eye of the storm: A day in the life of Ukrainian infantry on the zero line near Toretsk Editor's note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only.

DONETSK OBLAST - There was already little resembling a road in front of the driver by the time the old pickup truck's headlights were