The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that his forces have taken control of two settlements in the Donetsk region — Ilinka and Petrovka. At the same time, the Russian military reported the downing of 55 Ukrainian drones in the last 24 hours.
However, these claims have not been independently confirmed by the "Reuters" agency.
Progress in Donetsk region
Although Russian forces control less than 20% of Ukraine's territory according to open sources, they have made significant progress in the Donetsk region over the past two months. This advance is the fastest since March 2022. this way.
Strategic importance of Kurakhovo and Pokrovsk
The advance of Russian forces brings them closer to important industrial areas — Kurakhovo and Pokrovsk in the north, home to the only coking coal mine supplying the Ukrainian steel industry.