Russia has massed 110,000 troops near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, aiming to capture the strategic city, according to Ukraine’s military chief.

Despite repeated offensives over the past year, Moscow has failed to seize Pokrovsk, which is vital for Ukrainian supply lines and defenses in Donetsk.

Ukrainian forces have used drones and defensive operations to repel assaults, CNN has reported.

Russia is now trying to encircle the city from the south and northeast, seeking both tactical gains and symbolic victories by reaching Donetsk’s administrative border.

Written by B.C. Begley