Russian forces have changed their tactics in advancing on Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The Russian army is attempting to bypass the city from the west through small villages and forested areas, as well as disrupt Ukrainian logistical chains,

The Russian army is strengthening its positions in villages around the key eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in an attempt to encircle it and lay siege to a vital transport hub linking embattled Donbas with the rest of Ukraine.

MOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) -Russian forces are closing in on the strategically important eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk after capturing a string of villages to its south, and Ukraine has halted production at its only coking coal mine nearby due to the advance.

The city of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, has been under almost constant attack from Russian forces, including drone strikes that have reportedly hit civilian sites. Some residents say they hope to avoid becoming targets by clearly identifying themselves as noncombatants.

A Ukrainian drone clip appears to show Russian troops on walking sticks moving across a barren field, before they are attacked.

The Ukrainian armed forces are vigorously defending Pokrovsk from Russian attacks, as reported by Oleksandr Syrsky. The Ukrainian armed forces are taking all possible measures to prevent Pokrovsk from being captured by Russian troops.