Russia claims it retook control of Staromaiorske village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed on Monday that it retook control of the village of Staromaiorske in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that while Russian forces recaptured the village, located about 46 kilometers (28 miles) west of the front-line town of Vuhledar, they also continued to “advance into the depths” of Ukraine’s defensive line.

The statement further claimed that Russian troops also “defeated” Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Velyka Novosilka, Vodiane, Neskuchne, Urozhaine, and Vuhledar in the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims, and independent verification of Russia's claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.

Ukraine announced that it had retaken Staromaiorske from Russian troops back in July last year, after the village was captured by Russian forces during the initial phase of the Russia-Ukraine war that began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Claims of Staromaiorske's capture come as Russian forces have been attempting to breach Ukraine's defenses in the Kharkiv region since early May, opening a new front in the conflict that had hitherto been concentrated in the country's east and south.

Clashes in the region have intensified since then, particularly near Vovchansk, located about 74 kilometers (45 miles) from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, which has also been targeted by Russian airstrikes.

Russia claims to have seized control of multiple border settlements since the start of its offensive on the Kharkiv front, as well as other fronts, including Donetsk.