Russian forces announced on Wednesday the capture of two additional villages in eastern Ukraine, marking further advances as Moscow’s military closes in on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
The Russian military said its troops “liberated the settlements” of Hostre and Hryhorivka, both located near the city of Donetsk.
Hostre lies approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Donetsk, while Hryhorivka is near the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar.
The move comes amid ongoing battles in the region, even as Ukraine has launched its own offensive in Russia’s southwestern Kursk region.
Meanwhile, Russian military correspondents reported that the situation remains precarious for Ukrainian forces in Vuhledar, a coal-mining town further south in Donetsk.
The U.K.’s defense intelligence unit warned that Russian forces may now be threatening Vuhledar from three sides. However, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War noted that capturing Vuhledar would likely not provide Russian forces with a significant operational advantage for further offensives.
Ukraine’s General Staff has yet to comment on the current situation in Vuhledar.
