Kiev/MoscowcTypeface:> Ukraine said on Sunday that Russian troops have continued their relentless assault on Ukrainian defence lines near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, located on the edge of the Donbass region.

According to a situation report from the Ukrainian General Staff, a total of 23 Russian attacks were repelled in eastern Ukraine. "The situation in the Pokrovsk sector remains tense,” it said.

Intense fighting was also reported in nearby Kurakhove. Russian forces had attempted to undermine the Ukrainian defences there a total of 19 times, it said.

The information could not be independently verified.

Russian troops have been trying to expand their positions around the Donbass region for months. Ukraine has been fending off Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022. (DPA)