Ukraine wipes out Russian sabotage group in brutal revenge attack for civilian killings

Ukraine's army has wiped out a Russian sabotage group, accused of killing civilians in Pokrovsk. Fighting continues to rage in and around the key logistical hub in the Donetsk region, a major target for Putin's army.

Russian soldiers have been able to infiltrate the besieged city, moving around in small groups of two to three and hiding out in abandoned buildings. In recent days, Putin's troops have succeeded in breaking through Ukrainian defences in the southern part of the city. As they have advanced, reports have circulated of Russian soldiers shooting and killing citizens who have remained in their homes despite the intense bombardments and fighting.

Ukraine's 7th Corps Air Assault Forces said their unit had tracked down and eliminated a group of Russian saboteurs suspected of killing several citizens.

The Russians were hiding in a railway building, close to where the bodies of two dead civilians were spotted by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone.

The unit wrote on its telegram channel: "The joint strike and search group of the Defence Forces detected the enemy and eliminated the occupiers who were hiding at that moment in one of the railway station buildings."

Earlier, a video shot by the unit was posted to social media channels by Denys Khrystov - a volunteer who evacuates citizens from frontline cities.

In the video, two civilians are seen in a prostrate position, seemingly dead. On the side of the street, a third resident appears to be injured, before later being carried off by an unidentified man.

Putin's army have been trying for over a year to capture the eastern city, which Russia sees as the "gateway to Donetsk.

Its capture would be a major blow for Kyiv and severely impact Ukraine's ability to resupply its eastern army.

The fall of Pokrovsk would also open the road to the other crucial fortress cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

Zelensky's army has fought tooth and nail to prevent the Russians from seizing control of the city, but the situation is worsening for its heroic defenders.

The 7th Corps said the Russians were trying to infiltrate the city from several directions and had stepped up their aerial assaults using KAB guided bombs.