Russian forces have captured two more villages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, where they have been making progress against Ukrainian troops in recent months, the Russian state news agency RIA reported, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had "liberated" the village of Zelenivka, near the town of Kurakhove, which Moscow's troops are approaching. Russian forces also claim to have established control over Novy Komar, RIA reported.
This village had only a few hundred inhabitants before the conflict began, but is located about 20 km from the borders of Zaporizhzhia and Dnepropetrovsk regions. Russia has already captured villages north, east and south of Kurakhove, with its troops now almost encircling the town from all sides.
Moscow has accelerated its advance into the Donetsk region, which has been its target for months. It is part of the Donbass - a historic Ukrainian mining basin that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers a "priority".
Ukraine suggests that Russia is preparing for an offensive in the southern Zaporizhia region. Moscow's troops have already occupied parts of it, but the southern front has remained relatively stable since the beginning of this year compared with the eastern front, AFP notes.
A major Russian attack in the south would be a challenge for the Ukrainian army, whose forces are already stretched to the limit in the eastern regions. In November, Russian forces seized more Ukrainian territory than at any time since March 2022. since, the US-based Institute for the Study of War told AFP.