Russian forces are now just three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the outskirts of the key eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk after making advances Wednesday, according to Ukrainian mapping service DeepState.

Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv's military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine.

Fierce fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy overpowers there, stated Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi. "We have to make unconventional decisions to strengthen the resilience of our defense and to eliminate the occupiers more effectively.