Russia claims capture of two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
- 29 July, 10:48
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces captured two villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
The Defense ministry said Russian troops ``liberated" the village of Lozuvatske, about 24 kilometers east of Pokrovsk and near the Russian-occupied small town of Ocheretnye. The villages lie about 30 kilometres northwest of Avdiivka, a Donetsk city that the Russian army seized in February after a long battle. Ukraine has not confirmed the village's capture.
Oleksandr Shyrshyn, the 47th brigade's deputy battalion commander, confirmed to local media that the villages had been taken, blaming poor training of troops, lack of motivation and inadequate weapons for the setbacks.
The capture of the villages comes amid Russian advances amid Russia’s push to advance in the frontline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the situation in the Donetsk region was “extremely challenging”. “It is extremely challenging in the Donetsk directions, and it is in the Pokrovsk direction that there have been the biggest number of Russian assaults these weeks – the most intense enemy attacks are precisely there,” Zeleskiy said in an overnight video address.
On Monday Zelenskiy visited the frontline Volchansk town where heavy fighting is underway as well as Dergachi town in the east of Ukraine. Zelenskiy applauded troops for their performance against the Russian offensive.
