Russia claims it took control of Umanske village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed on Sunday that its troops took control of the village of Umanske in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said the village, located about 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the city of Pokrovsk, one of the most active sections of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, was captured by units of the “center group of troops.”

The statement claimed that Russian troops took “more advantageous positions” and “defeated” Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Urozhaine, Staromaiorske, and Vodyane, also located in the Donetsk region.

It further claimed that Russian troops continued to advance in the Kharkiv front, pushing back Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Mali Prokhody, Hatyshche, Lyptsi, and Neskuchne.

Troops took “more advantageous positions” near the village of Synkivka, the statement also claimed, located about 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) from the city of Kupiansk, a point of major clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops since the start of the war.

Ukraine's General Staff said in an earlier statement that Russian forces are trying to advance near the settlements of Novooleksandrivka and Sokil, with the latter located around 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from Umanske, describing the situation as "tense."

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

Russian forces have been attempting to breach Ukraine’s defenses in the Kharkiv region since early May, opening a new front in the over two-year-long conflict that was hitherto 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.