Moscow claims to have captured Dobropillia, in Donetsk, as Ukrainian forces report fighting in the region and do not confirm the loss of control of the city
The Russian Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, stated on Friday that Moscow’s forces had captured the city of Dobropillia, in the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine did not mention any change of control over Dobropillia. The city, located southwest of the important centers of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, has been subjected to continuous Russian attacks for some time.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Friday that Russian forces were attempting to advance near Dobropillia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated at the start of this week that Russian troops were suffering casualties on the outskirts of the city.
Belousov also said that Moscow’s forces had captured two villages in eastern Ukraine: Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, in the same area of the Donetsk region, and Velykomykhaylivka, in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Russian forces have been advancing slowly through the Donetsk region and other parts of eastern Ukraine, although the pace of their advances has slowed in recent months.
