Ukrainian military intelligence snipers targeted a group of Russian troops operating close to the front-line city of Pokrovsk in an “ambush” in Moscow-controlled territory, according to Kyiv’s GUR spy agency.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Moscow has been battling toward Pokrovsk for months, with Kyiv frequently reporting the fiercest fighting along the front lines to be in the area east of the city.

The Ukrainian-held logistics hub, close to the western edge of the Donetsk region that Russia has long wanted to fully capture, has been referred to as a “fortress” settlement, key to Ukrainian defenses in the east and connected to other critical defensive cities.

Western analysts and popular Ukrainian war-tracking blog, Deep State, say Russia has not fought inside the city, but has bypassed Pokrovsk to the south and advanced toward the border of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

What To Know

Kyiv’s GUR spy agency shared a video on Saturday it said showed special forces targeting a group of Russian soldiers in the area around Pokrovsk with “sniper fire” in what it termed a “successful ambush.” Newsweek has yet to verify this clip.

The night-vision footage appears to show Ukrainian forces tracking several Russian soldiers before they are hit with gunfire.

The Ukrainian fighters “eliminated” the Russian troops, the GUR said. “Combat operations behind enemy lines aimed at destroying the invaders and cutting off their logistic routes continue,” the agency added. Logistics are vital for keeping forces supplied and effective in battle.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had captured the village of Yantarne, south of Pokrovsk, and a village in the northeastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine. Moscow had said on Saturday it seized Shevchenko, just southwest of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine’s General Staff said early on Sunday it had “stopped” 77 Russian attacks around Pokrovsk in the previous 24 hours, with Russian aircraft supporting troops “storming” Ukrainian positions in a number of settlements.

What Are People Saying

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said: “The video shows the results of a successful ambush on Russian occupiers in the Pokrovsk area of ​​Donetsk region: military intelligence special forces eliminated a group of Muscovites with sniper fire.”

What Happens Next

Kyiv will likely continue to target Russian troops in similar operations, leading up to the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump later this month. The President-elect has pledged to end the war in Ukraine in just a day, and is expected to at least attempt some form of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.