“I gave the order.” Partial withdrawal from the key city under Russian siege. General Sîrskî's explanations to journalists

Ukrainian troops control part of the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, which has been under siege by Russian forces since mid-November, but some units have been ordered to withdraw outside the city from impassable positions in the past week, Ukraine's army chief, General Oleksandr Sîrskîi, said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

But Oleksandr Sîrskîi, speaking to Ukrainian journalists, said the situation at Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub that was virtually destroyed after months of Russian attacks, remained difficult, with Russia massing a force of 156,000 troops around it.

Cited by public Suspilne television, Sârskîi said Ukrainian forces had made progress since mid-November. The Russian military claimed last week that its forces had captured Pokrovsk, but Ukrainian officials denied the claim.

“Initially, in the fall, our troops were not present in Pokrovsk, as our possibilities were limited. But since November 15, as a result of offensive actions, we have secured about 13 square kilometers (5 square miles),” Sîrskîi said.

“We continue to control the northern part of the city, approximately up to the railway line. In addition, west of Pokrovsk, we have liberated and control approximately 54 square kilometers,” added the head of the Ukrainian army

Russian troops, he said, continue to be concentrated in the area under cover of rain and fog.

“At the same time, we gave the order, a few days ago, to withdraw our troops from about 5-7 km (3-4 miles) from Pokrovsk, where they had remained,” he said. “Rotation was no longer possible, and the enemy was creeping among them. There was no point in keeping them there,” explained the general.

Pokrovsk is at the center of a long and slow offensive by Russian forces through eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, with Moscow announcing the capture of new villages several times a week lately.

Last month, Moscow said its forces had also captured the northern town of Kupiansk, which was largely destroyed, a claim also denied by the Ukrainian military.

In his version of the meeting with Ukrainian journalists, Sîrskîi said in a post on the Telegram messaging app that Russia is using disinformation to distort the situation and create additional danger to Kiev's troops “in areas where they have re-established control.”