MOSCOW: Russian forces on Tuesday said they had taken over the control of another village in their war against Ukraine in the eastern Donetsk region.
The defence ministry said Russia had liberated the village of Pivdenne, near Toretsk, a larger town which Russian forces have advanced toward in recent months.
According to Ukrainian government estimates before Russia started its full-scale military offensive in 2022, the village had a population of around 1,400.
Moscow in recent weeks has claimed to have taken control of a string of villages in the Donetsk region. Russia announced to have annexed the Donetsk region along with three others in eastern and southern parts of Ukraine in 2022.
Its forces have come closer to Toretsk, a town that was once home to around 30,000 people, in its latest attack. Pivdenne is around six kilometers (four miles) southeast of Toretsk.
Russia on Monday announced that it had intercepted and destroyed 39 drones launched by Ukraine, primarily targeting border regions.
The Russian defence ministry reported on Telegram that anti-air defence systems shot down 19 drones in the Kursk region, nine over Belgorod, three above Voronezh, and five over Bryansk. Additionally, three drones were neutralized in the Leningrad region near Saint Petersburg during an “attempted terrorist attack.”
