The bloody battle for a key eastern Ukrainian city appears to have entered its final throes, as Russian troops close in.

Soldiers fighting in Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk Oblast, told The i Paper it was now only a “matter of time” until the city falls.

The battle has followed an increasingly common Russian strategy to attack in small groups, attempting to wear down Ukrainian defences before a final takeover, soldiers and analysts said. New Feature

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‘Horseshoe’ manoeuvre to hem in Ukrainian troops

One Ukrainian soldier fighting in the area said advancing groups could be as small as two or three Russians.

Another said the troops approach Ukrainian positions in a horseshoe shape until they are almost encircled.

The Ukrainians ar

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