Thick fog has enabled Russian troops to move further into the key strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's 7th Airborne Assault Corps says weather conditions, particularly dense fog, have prompted Moscow to intensify its bid to get increasing numbers into the ruined city and encircle Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces have spent more than a year trying to seize the city, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the fog has favored Russian attacks and the situation remains difficult.
Meanwhile, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has warned that the situation on the front line in the southeastern Zaporzhzhia region has significantly worsened, resulting in the loss of three settlements.
Syrskyi noted that Russia is most active around Pokrovsk. A video has gone viral on social media showing Russian soldiers openly driving through a hazy road on civilian cars and motorbikes.
The BBC has verified the location where the video was filmed as the southern outskirts of the town on the Selidove-Pokrovsk highway.
For several days, fog has obscured visibility for aerial reconnaissance, explains a drone pilot from the Shershni Dovbusha unit of the 68th brigade, who uses the call-sign Goose.
He noted that this has emboldened Russian forces to launch assaults using a column of vehicles, which would typically be vulnerable to Ukrainian drone strikes.
The 7th Corps claims that there are now 300 Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk, although that was the number initially shared by Zelensky last Wednesday. The video suggests those numbers have likely increased since then.
Mapping by the Ukraine-based DeepState monitoring group indicates that Russian troops are closing in on most areas of Pokrovsk. Observers claim its fall may be imminent.
Most parts of the city now exist in a grey zone that neither side fully controls. Ukrainian forces might hold positions in one building, while Russian troops could be in the adjacent one.
Moscow is attempting to encircle Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad in a strategy that resembles creating a cauldron. Even if the lid isn't closed, Russian forces can continuously target supply routes using FPV drones.
To prevent encirclement, Ukrainian troops have pushed back Russian forces from Suvorove and Rodynske, increasing the gap between Russian flanks.
Russian offensives aim to cut off logistical support for Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk. Attacks are not just occurring remotely via drones and artillery, but also through direct infiltration by soldiers.
This tactic has proven somewhat successful, according to Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets, who notes Russian forces specifically target Ukrainian FPV pilots to disrupt detection of smaller Russian units.
In urban settings, Russian soldiers sometimes infiltrate while disguised as locals or Ukrainian military personnel to sow confusion before larger Russian forces advance.
The Kremlin is also pushing offensives in other regions, specifically in Kupyansk and the Zaporzhzhya area.
Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for Joint Forces Operation, denied Russian claims of having surrounded Kupyansk but acknowledged the presence of Russian troops in the southern part of the town, where the situation remains challenging.
