Russia Claims Control of 70% of Strategic Ukrainian City Bakhmut

Russian forces are closing in on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, with President Vladimir Putin claiming Thursday that his troops now control 70% of the strategic location. But Ukraine's top military commander says his forces are fighting back hard as battles rage through the city center.

The fight for Pokrovsk matters because it sits at a crucial crossroads in eastern Ukraine. If Russia takes full control, it opens a path north toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk - the two largest cities still under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk region.

Russia's Defense Ministry said earlier Thursday that its attack units are pushing forward in central and northern parts of Pokrovsk. Russian forces are also making gains around the nearby city of Mirnograd, advancing from three directions - east, west, and south.

Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrskyi painted a different picture on social media. He said Ukrainian troops successfully pushed back new Russian assault attempts on both Pokrovsk and Mirnograd.

The conflicting accounts show how fierce the fighting has become in this part of eastern Ukraine. Both sides have reasons to claim progress, but the battle appears far from over. For Ukraine, losing Pokrovsk would mean giving Russia a stepping stone to bigger targets. For Moscow, the city represents another piece in its broader campaign to control the entire Donetsk region.