The Russian defence ministry announced on Sunday that Russian forces had seized control of the villages of Spirne and Novooleksandrivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. According to a brief statement released on the Telegram messaging app, the ministry reported that their forces have also strengthened their positions along the frontline in the vicinity of the captured villages.
Spirne, situated in the eastern part of the Donetsk region near the border with Ukraine’s Luhansk region, was one of the targeted areas. Additionally, the village of Novooleksandrivka, located approximately 130 km (80 miles) west of Spirne, was also brought under Russian control.
The Ukrainian General Staff’s daily report on the battlefield situation mentioned “heavy fighting” occurring in the area surrounding the captured villages, although no losses were reported.
Donetsk is among the four regions in Ukraine’s eastern and southern territories that Russia alleged to have annexed in late 2022, a move that was widely condemned as illegal by the majority of countries at the U.N. General Assembly. It’s important to note that Russia does not currently have complete control over any of the four regions.
