Russia has announced the capture of three villages in eastern Ukraine as its forces continue to advance through Ukrainian defenses amidst ongoing heavy combat. The struggles have been marked by intense skirmishes over largely ruined territories, where few residents remain and most buildings have been destroyed.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, since the start of the year, Russian forces have taken control of approximately 0.8 percent of Ukraine’s total land area. The villages of Derylove and Maiske in the Donetsk region were confirmed as seized areas, alongside the settlement of Stepove in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In a separate report, Ukrainian officials indicated that an overnight Russian shelling in the southeastern Kherson region resulted in one death and left 12 others injured. This barrage also caused damage to railway infrastructure in the neighboring Odesa region.
In another development, a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly led to the suspension of operations at an oil pumping station located in the Chuvashia republic, significantly deep behind the front line. Ukraine has been focusing on targeting Russian refineries over the past several months, framing these attacks as justified retaliation for Russian assaults while aiming to disrupt energy revenues that support the Russian military.
As the conflict approaches its fourth year, diplomatic efforts to resolve the war have stalled. Recently, former US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine could potentially reclaim all lost territories from Russia, while Moscow has asserted its intention to continue its offensive operations.
