Russia Claims Two Settlements as Donetsk Push Continues

Russia said its forces had captured two more settlements in eastern Ukraine as Moscow continues to press westward in the Donetsk region. Kyiv has not confirmed the claims, which could not be independently verified.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had taken Vasiutynske and Toretsk as part of their continuing offensive in the region.

Russian forces have been making gradual advances across parts of Donetsk, although control remains contested along several sections of the roughly 1,200 km front.

DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source battlefield monitoring group, reported further Russian advances near Illinivka, close to Kostiantynivka, as well as movement near Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had repelled 24 Russian attacks around Kostiantynivka, Illinivka and other settlements.

Russia claimed in July that it had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka, one of the main strongholds in Ukraine’s defensive line in Donetsk. Ukraine rejected the claim, saying its forces remained inside the city and continued defensive operations there.

President Volodymyr Zelensky did not address Russia’s latest territorial claims in his Sunday evening address but praised Ukrainian units fighting around Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk.

(Reuters, bak)