By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Moscow claimed on Tuesday that it took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where intense clashes continue amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces captured the village of Tymofiivka, located about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the village of Lozuvatske, which Moscow claimed to have captured late last month.
Indicating that Russian forces in the area occupied “more advantageous positions,” the statement further claimed that its troops “defeated” Ukrainian forces near other settlements in the region, including the city of Toretsk.
It also claimed that Russian forces took “more advantageous lines and positions” near the settlements of Synkivka and Tabaivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claims, and independent verification of Moscow’s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.
Since early May, Russian forces have been attempting to breach Ukraine's defenses in the Kharkiv region, 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 taken control of several border settlements since the start of its offensive on the Kharkiv front, as well as other fronts, including Donetsk and Luhansk.