Two Ukrainian villages, one in Kharkiv region in the northeast and one in eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow is concentrating most of its efforts to seize two cities, have been captured by the Russian Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry disclosed.
The Russian forces have made steady progress across the Donetsk region, as they move on to the towns of Pokrovsk, which serves as a logistics center and site of an important coking colliery. The forces also appear to be closing in on Kurakhove, farther south.
A statement from the Defense Ministry revealed that 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 defenses.
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 center. 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.
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