Russia Says Captured Another Village In East Ukraine As Kyiv Intensifies Attack

Russia said on Saturday it had captured another village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, while Kyiv said Moscow was intensifying attacks away from the northeastern Kharkiv region.

The Russian defence ministry said that troops had “taken control of the village of Arkhangelske”, located to the north of the city of Donetsk.

The small frontline village is near the town of Ocheretyne, which Russia said it had captured early this month.

Russia’s latest claim of territorial gain came as Ukraine has said Moscow is intensifying attacks away from the Kharkiv region, where it launched an offensive on May 10.

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Saturday that Russian forces were “particularly active” near the town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

It said six firefights were ongoing near the villages of Kalynove, Yasnobrodivka and Sokil, south of the village of Arkhangelske.

Ukrainian police meanwhile said three civilians had been killed and two wounded in Russian attacks on Donetsk region, where there had been over 1,800 strikes over the last day.

On Saturday, Ukraine said its forces had repelled two attacks in the Kharkiv region and fighting was continuing near the town of Vovchansk, which Moscow is attempting to seize.

Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had fought off two counter-attacks near the border, one close to Vovchansk.

The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegubov, said on Saturday that Russians had hit the railway hub of Kupiansk-Vuzloviy with a guided bomb, wounding at least five people.

He did not provide further details.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he had visited the city of Kharkiv and met military officials to discuss the defence of the region, particularly of Vovchansk.