Russia's defence ministry has said that its forces had advanced in the battered Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and were fighting house-to-house battles in a bid to eject Ukrainian forces from the city.

Russia said on Wednesday that its forces were advancing north inside the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and clearing out Kyiv's troops in a drive to take full control of what has been an important transport and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army. Ukraine has acknowledged its troops face a difficult…

The Ukrainian military denies Russian claims that its troops are surrounded in Pokrovsk. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Russia says it has nearly surrounded the frontline city and is close to capturing it, after over a year of fighting. Meanwhile, South Africa is probing how 17 of its citizens were lured to fight in the war. DW has more.