(MENAFN) Ukraine announced on Wednesday that railway service to Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region will be suspended indefinitely due to escalating clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces, according to reports.

Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin wrote on Telegram that the decision, made in coordination with state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, was driven by “security factors.” He added that train operations will continue only up to the administrative border between Donetsk and northeastern Kharkiv.

The city of Pokrovsk, located roughly 55 kilometers southwest of Kramatorsk, has become a focal point of recent fighting. Moscow claims territorial advances in Donetsk as part of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, while the Russian Defense Ministry reported that clashes with what it described as “encircled” Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk continue, including a push toward the north of the city.

Ukraine’s General Staff rejected claims of encirclement, stating that steps are being taken to prevent Russian forces from “infiltrating and accumulating” in Pokrovsk.

Ukrzaliznytsia said that trains bound for Kramatorsk will be temporarily rerouted to Husarivka and Barvinkove stations in the Kharkiv region, near the administrative border with Donetsk.

The regional administration is also arranging bus shuttles for passengers traveling to Kramatorsk or nearby Sloviansk.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will resume traffic as soon as it becomes possible,” the railway company added.

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