Ukraine's military retracts claim that Russian troops entered outskirts of Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast

Ukraine's East Group of Forces said on Oct. 28 that Russian troops had entered the outskirts of the town of Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast, but the claim was denied the following day.

Myrnohrad, located in the Pokrovsk district, borders the city of Pokrovsk to the east, which has long been a primary target of Russia's offensive in the region.

Hryhorii Shapoval, spokesperson for the communications department of the East Group of Forces, reported on Oct. 28 on national television that Russian troops are on the outskirts of the town, where street fighting is ongoing.

"At the moment, unfortunately, the enemy has entered the outskirts of Myrnohrad, and is using not only artillery and unmanned systems, but also infantry and technical means," Shapoval said.

Ukrainian forces are trying to hold their positions and build fortifications, but "the situation is quite difficult," the spokesperson added.

Heavy street fighting continues, making the use of some types of weapons more complicated, according to Shapoval.

The East Group of Forces issued a statement on the following day, on Oct. 29, saying Shapoval had misspoken on air and had meant Pokrovsk, not Myrnohrad.

"The enemy is not in Myrnohrad. The situation in the city and its surroundings is fully controlled by Ukrainian forces,"the statement read.

The Kyiv Independent reached out to its on-the-ground sources to verify the situation in Myrnohrad.

After taking control of Avdiivka, a longstanding Ukrainian stronghold roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk in February 2024, Russian forces have been steadily pushing toward Pokrovsk, a former key Ukrainian logistics hub located in a relatively secure part of Donetsk Oblast.

Russian troops have now encircled Pokrovsk on three sides, leaving only a roughly 15-kilometer (nine-mile) corridor for Ukrainian forces to bring in reinforcements and supplies, according to the Ukrainian open-source battlefield monitoring group DeepState.

Russia outnumbers Ukrainian troops eight-to-one in their offensive to capture Pokrovsk, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell