MOSCOW: Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on Friday that its forces had seized control of three additional villages in eastern Ukraine.
One village was captured in the Dnipropetrovsk region while two others were taken in the northeastern Kharkiv region near the Russian border.
Ukraine’s military acknowledged fighting around at least two of these settlements but did not confirm any had been lost.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims from either side.
The Russian ministry identified Pryvillia in Dnipropetrovsk as one of the captured locations where Moscow’s forces have recently established a foothold.
Russian troops also reportedly took Pishchane near the heavily damaged town of Kupiansk and Tykhe just inside the border with Russia.
Russia has been conducting a gradual advance through eastern Ukraine with most combat occurring in the Donetsk region.
Moscow’s forces have simultaneously attempted to capture territory in the Kharkiv region and advanced into villages in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Pishchane was among several villages where Russian forces attempted to advance.
The Ukrainian military claimed to have repelled six of seven Russian attacks in that area.
Kharkiv’s regional governor stated on Thursday that Tykhe was one of several border villages where 17 clashes had occurred.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted this month that Moscow’s troops maintain the initiative along the entire front line.
Ukraine’s top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi challenged this assessment on Friday saying Russian plans to seize major centres keep failing.
Syrskyi declared that Ukrainian servicemen had stopped the enemy’s spring-summer offensive campaign and continue to disrupt Kremlin plans. – Reuters
