By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed on Thursday that it took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow continues to claim advances amid its ongoing offensive.
A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces took control of the village of Zorya, located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of the city of Kurakhove, a key stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Donetsk that houses a thermal power plant.
The village is also about 22 km (13.6 mi) south of the city of Pokrovsk, a major front in Moscow’s ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has frequently reported gains in recent months as it continues its offensive in Donetsk, with the area around Pokrovsk seeing heightened activity.
The city serves as a key logistics hub for Ukraine’s army in the region, which borders Russia.
A later Defense Ministry statement claimed that its forces have also retaken control of the village of Novoivanovka in Russia's border region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched an incursion on Aug. 6.
The village is located about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Russia-Ukraine border, and is situated around 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the town of Sudzha, which Kyiv claimed it captured over a week into its incursion in the region.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims, and independent verification of Russia’s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.