Russia claims it took control of settlement in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Monday claimed that it took control of a settlement in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region amid Moscow’s ongoing offensive in the eastern part of the war-torn country.

According to a Russian Defense Ministry statement, Russian forces have captured the village of Kolisnykivka, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Kupiansk, a major front in Moscow's offensive in Kharkiv.

The village is also located about 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) north of the village of Kruhlyakivka, which Moscow claimed to have captured late last month.

Kolisnykivka and Kupiansk, the latter of which serves as an important railroad junction in the region, are situated on the Oskil River, a tributary of the Donets River flowing into the Don River, the fourth-largest in Europe.

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