MOSCOW: Russia announced on Thursday that its forces had taken control of Ukrainian villages in three separate regions, marking an expansion of its summer offensive despite international pressure to halt hostilities. Ukraine has not yet commented on these claims.
The Russian defence ministry stated that its troops had “liberated” the settlements of Popiv Yar in Donetsk, Degtiarne in Kharkiv, and Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia. Kamianske, located along the Dnipro River, had a pre-war population of around 2,000. Degtiarne, a small village near the Russian border, had not seen Russian advances since the early stages of the conflict. Popiv Yar lies south of Kramatorsk, a key Ukrainian city.
Russian forces have intensified their offensive for three consecutive months, with June recording the largest territorial gains since November last year, according to AFP analysis of ISW data.
US President Donald Trump recently warned Moscow of potential sanctions if no peace deal is reached within 50 days. However, Ukraine maintains that Russia has no intention of ending the conflict and will continue its military operations. - AFP
