MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. The situation in the Pokrovsk area is still difficult for the Ukrainian army, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky said.

"The situation in the Pokrovsk area is still difficult. <…> The intensity of fighting in other areas has decreased but the frontline has extended," he wrote on his Facebook page (Facebook is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

According to Syrsky, troops in this area need more munitions and weapons.

He also noted that the key problem is to recruit "motivated, well-trained soldiers," as well as provide the army with modern electronic warfare and air defense means to counter Russian drones.

Since May, Ukrainian forces have been having problems in the Pokrovsk area. The Ukrainian General Staff admitted in late May that Russian forces has achieved "certain progress" there. Later, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the most difficult situation was in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

Meanwhile, adviser to the DPR head, Igor Kimakovsky, said that Pokrovsk (formerly known as Krasnoarmeisk) is Ukraine’s biggest hub in the region.