Russia on Sunday said its forces had captured the east Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka in the embattled Donetsk region, almost three years into their offensive. Russia's military has been making steady advances on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine for months.
Moscow's defence ministry said Russian troops led "active offensive actions" and "liberated the settlement of Velyka Novosilka", which lies in the west of the Donetsk region. Moscow regularly claims the capture of small villages, but rarely announces claims to bigger towns.
According to Ukrainian data, Velyka Novosilka had a population of around 6,000 people before Moscow's 2022 offensive -- but only around 300 people remain. Velyka Novosilka is close to the southern front line in Ukraine -- which has remained largely static but where fears of a fresh Russian offensive have risen for weeks.
Russia's defence ministry later released images of two soldiers waving Russian flags on top of a damaged building. It also said that Defence Minister Andrei Belousov had congratulated units who took part in the advance on the town.
Kyiv has not yet commented on the claims. Both sides have raced to gain an advantage in the almost three-year as Donald Trump -- who has vowed to hold talks to end the conflict -- returns to the White House. AFP
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