Russia captures two villages in Ukraine as Moscow's forces advance on two cities


  • World
  • Monday, 23 Dec 2024

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian forces captured two villages in Ukraine, one in Kharkiv region in the northeast and one in eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday.

Donetsk region is where Moscow is concentrating most of its efforts to seize two cities.

Russian forces, making steady progress across Donetsk region, are moving on the towns of Pokrovsk, a logistics centre and site of an important coking colliery, and appear to be closing in on Kurakhove, farther south.

The Defence Ministry statement said troops had taken control of Lozova, near the town of Kupiansk, in an area north of Donetsk region also under Russian pressure in recent weeks. The village of Sontsivka, north of Kurakhove, was also captured.

The ministry on Saturday announced the capture of another village near Kurakhove, Kostiantynopolske.

The Ukraine military's general staff made no mention of those villages falling into Russian hands, but said Sontsivka was in a sector subject to 26 Russian attacks in the past 24 hours. The general staff also reported heavy fighting near Pokrovsk, with 34 Russian attempts to pierce defences.

The popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState said Sontsivka was under Russian control.

Russian reports have described intensified pressure on Kurakhove.

The Moscow-appointed governor of areas of Donetsk region occupied by Russian forces, Denis Pushilin, said on Telegram that Russian troops now controlled the town centre. He also said troops were advancing on Pokrovsk from the south.

Russian troops have been moving through eastern Ukraine in the past two months at the fastest rate since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Ukrainian military said on Friday its forces had pulled back from the area around two villages -- one near Pokrovsk, the other near Kurakhove -- to avoid being encircled by advancing Russian troops.

(Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy and Ron Popeski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Leslie Adler)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains – and bots
How tech created a ‘recipe for loneliness’
New Zealand rejects Cook Islands passport plan
How data shared in the cloud is aiding snow removal
Brazil bridge collapses, spilling sulfuric acid into river
Do you have a friend in AI?
Slovak PM meets Putin to discuss transit of Russian gas
Turkish foreign minister says no room for Kurdish militants in Syria's future
Tens of thousands gather in anti-government protest in Belgrade
Tunisia dismantles drug trafficking network, arrests 4

Others Also Read