Russia has reportedly launched a “swift” counteroffensive on the town of Pokrovsk amid the ongoing war between the two Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian military authorities published a post on Telegram on Friday saying that Russian troops were “advancing at a rapid pace” in Pokrovsk, while Ukraine launched its own offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.

“With each passing day, there is less time to pack personal belongings and move to safer regions,” Ukrainian military authorities said, according to the Associated Press, urging civilians in the city to evacuate as soon as possible.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter) that read: “Today at the staff meeting I received a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrsky. Our main frontline defense directions: Toretsk, Pokrovsk and others. These areas are currently under the fiercest Russian attacks and are receiving our greatest defense attention. Priority supplies – everything that is needed – are being sent there.”

“Separately, the commander-in-chief reported on the operation in Kursk Oblast. There was new progress. Our “exchange fund” continued to be replenished. In addition, General Syrskyi reported on the successful liberation of the city of Sudzha from Russian forces. A Ukrainian military command post is being established there. Several other settlements were also liberated. More than eighty in total,” Zelensky said in his post.

Earlier this month, Ukraine launched its own offensive in Russia’s Kursk region as the war between the two countries rages on. Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from Kursk and surrounding regions as armed clashes intensify in southwestern Russia following Ukraine’s unexpected cross-border incursion.

On Tuesday, Zelensky said that Kyiv’s armed forces now controlled over 70 settlements on Russian territory and that “hundreds of Russian soldiers” had been captured, benefiting the country’s “exchange fund” for prisoners of war.

However, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces “continue to repel” the Ukrainian advance and that Kyiv had lost about 2,600 soldiers since hostilities began in Kursk.

General Christopher Cavoli, NATO Supreme Commander in Europe, recently commented on the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk and criticized Russia’s response.

“Russia is still assembling its response to the invasion of Ukraine. So far, it has been a pretty slow and disjointed response,” he said during a Council on Foreign Relations event.

“Russia does not specify who has the authority… The Ministry of Defense is responsible for military operations in Ukraine, but not for those in Russia, right?” Cavoli added.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry by email and asked for comment.