Russia Reportedly Occupies Another Donetsk Village

The Russian ministry of defense announced on Sunday that its troops had taken control of the village of Shevchenko in Ukraine's Donetsk region. Moscow's claim could not be immediately verified by independent sources, and the Ukrainian side has not yet commented on it.

According to the ministry's statement, the village was captured by units of the Central group of forces following "active and decisive" combat operations. Moscow said Shevchenko had been "liberated", using the terminology it employs to describe the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

The Donetsk region remains one of the main hotspots of fighting in eastern Ukraine. In recent months, Russian forces have continued to carry out gradual offensive operations, while Kyiv has been trying to slow their advance and stabilize the front line.

Shevchenko lies on the same defensive line as the neighboring town of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces have been fighting for since July 2024. The advance, though slow and at the cost of heavy losses, is thus heading toward centers such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk in the unoccupied northern part of the region.

(TASS, Reuters, SAB)