Ukraine has deployed special forces to the eastern city of Pokrovsk, where it is under pressure from an intense Russian assault involving thousands of troops, Kyiv's top commander said Saturday.

Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow's sights for over a year.

Hundreds of Russian soldiers have infiltrated the logistics hub, Kyiv said earlier this week. Others are closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement, according to battlefield maps published by the Institute for the Study of War.

The city's capture would provide a major propaganda boost for the Kremlin, which has rebuffed US calls to halt its nearly-four year invasion and instead pushed forward with its ground assault.

"A comprehensive operation

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