The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that its forces have captured two villages in Eastern Ukraine. This is the second time in two days that the Russians have made in a war that can otherwise be best described as an artillery slugfest with little changes on the ground. The Russians claim that their forces now control the settlements of Stepova Novoselivka in the Kharkiv region and Novopokrovske in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military has in part denied the claims made by the Russians.
The General Staff of the Ukraine’s Armed Forces, in an evening report, said its troops had repelled 17 attacks in the Kupiansk sector near Kharkiv, including by Stepova Novoselivka. It said fighting was raging near Synkivka, further west. Russia has announced a string of incremental gains since capturing the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk region in February. Donetsk and Kharkiv regions remain focal points along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line in Ukraine’s east and south.
The Ukrainian military earlier said it had repelled Russian attacks near two towns in Donetsk region — Novooleksandrivka and Spirne, a day after Russian forces claimed control of them. The evening report said fighting continued near both localities.
The evening report identified the Pokrovsk front as the theatre of the fiercest fighting. Forty-four Russian assaults had been repelled in the last 24 hours, with 14 clashes still going on. The military said Russia maintained a military presence across the border from Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv and Sumy regions, adding that Moscow’s forces were increasing the density of minefields and conducting sabotage activities.
That area is under scrutiny for any sign that Russia plans to open a new front to pressure Ukraine’s outnumbered defenders. Russia launched an assault into the border areas of the northeastern region of Kharkiv in May, opening a new front in 28-month full-scale invasion. In the latest Ukrainian report, Kyiv’s troops controlled the area and countered 11 Russian assaults near three towns, including Vovchansk, which is 5 km from the border with Russia.
