Russian forces close in on Pokrovsk, Ukraine faces critical defense challenge

"Russian troops are attempting to capture settlements near Pokrovsk, a city in Donetsk Oblast that was home to over 60,000 people before Russia's full-scale invasion.

Stanislav “Osman” Buniatov, a unit commander in the 24th Assault Battalion Aidar, provided an update on the situation on the Pokrovsk front. "They are mainly holding onto the railway, orienting themselves towards capturing the surrounding settlements,"...Representatives of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration reported on Oct. 24 that Russian forces had destroyed 80% of the settlement’s critical infrastructure." NV