"The fighting is extremely fierce. The Russian invaders are throwing all available forces forward, trying to break through the defense of our troops," Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said.Ukraine had been suffering from an extensive infantry shortage, as well as disputes within the military command leading the defense.Pokrovsk is the last stronghold in the southwestern part of Donetsk Oblast, holding back Russian forces from advancing further toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and the regional capital of Dnipro, home to 1 million people and serving as the main hub for Kyiv's operations in the southeast. Pokrovsk is the last stronghold in the southwestern part of Donetsk Oblast, holding back Russian forces from advancing further toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Stanislav Buniatov, a platoon commander of the 24th Separate Assault Battalion Aidar, wrote on his Telegram that "everyone has already accepted that Russian troops will enter Pokrovsk.