KIEV, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian military said Tuesday that fighting in Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk) in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine was ongoing despite Russia's claims of seizing the city.
"Search and assault operations and the elimination of the enemy in urban areas continue in Pokrovsk," the Operation Task Force "East" said in a statement on Facebook.
According to the statement, Russian troops attempted to plant a flag in one of Pokrovsk's districts to use it as evidence that they had taken full control of the city. "After that, they fled in a hurry, and the mopping up of enemy groups continues," it said.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram that Russian statements regarding the capture of Pokrovsk "do not correspond to reality," adding that the Ukrainian forces continue to hold the northern part of the city along the railway line.
On Monday, the Russian defense ministry said that its forces had captured the city, an important logistics hub, according to local media reports.
On the same day, the Russian defense ministry released video footage showing servicemen raising the Russian flag in the city's main square, marking its capture.
The fighting in Pokrovsk has been raging since last year. ■