The Russian army announced on Monday that it had occupied two Ukrainian villages, one in the area of Donetsk region in the east, where it is making rapid progress, and another in the Kharkiv region (northeast), a new sign of its advance at the expense of Kiev’s troops, reports AFP. quoted by Agerpres.
The Russian Ministry of Defense assured that its soldiers “liberated” the town of Soloviove, near Oceretîne, whose occupation it claimed on Sunday.
In recent weeks, the Russian army has advanced rapidly in this area located near Avdiivka, a city that fell in February.
The Russian Ministry also stated that its troops captured Kotliarivka, in the Kharkiv region. A significant part of this region, bordering Russia, was occupied by Moscow’s army more than two years ago, ahead of a first counteroffensive by Kiev in the fall of 2022.
The Ukrainian army is on the defensive after the failure of its counteroffensive last summer.
Russia has taken the lead against an adversary that is having difficulty recruiting new soldiers and is facing slow Western aid.
The resumption of US military assistance, following the validation at the end of April of a $61 billion aid plan to Kiev, should still allow Ukraine to strengthen its forces and try to stabilize the front, especially in the east, in the areas Ciasiv Iar and Avdiivka, AFP notes.
Ukraine also lacks anti-aircraft defenses, which has allowed Russian forces to bomb essential infrastructure, especially the power grid and railways.
Tags: Russian army announces occupation villages Donetsk region
