In a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russian forces have reported the capture of three villages located in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine. This move is particularly noteworthy as it includes areas that had been regained by Ukraine during a counter-offensive campaign three years ago.
The villages of Pishchane and Tykhe in Kharkiv, as well as Pryvillia in Dnipropetrovsk, are now under Russian control, according to statements from Moscow’s military command. The latest advances come amidst prolonged and intense fighting in eastern Ukraine, marked by costly battles for small settlements that have suffered extensive damage since the onset of the conflict in February 2022. With many of these areas largely deserted, the skirmishes are costly both in terms of human life and military resources.
In the 2022 counter-offensive, Ukraine had successfully reclaimed a significant portion of the Kharkiv region, including Pishchane, forcing Russia to enact a military draft for the first time since World War II as a response to these territorial losses. However, the ongoing Russian thrust seeks to encircle Kupiansk, a strategic logistics hub that was a major success for Ukraine’s forces during the previous year’s counter-offensive.
As the conflict intensifies, the humanitarian toll has been severe, with tens of thousands of lives lost and millions of residents displaced across eastern Ukraine. Reports indicated that on the same day, a tragic incident occurred in which “two adults and a 10-year-old child were killed during intense shelling of a residential area” in the Russian-occupied section of Kherson, as stated by the governor appointed by Moscow. Conversely, Ukrainian officials reported casualties on their side, with “one person killed and 14 others injured” due to Russian shelling in areas under Ukrainian control in Kherson.
In a broader escalation of military actions, Russia launched an attack involving 70 drones overnight, shortly after President Vladimir Putin’s phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, which included discussions on scheduling a new summit. The Russian military claimed success in intercepting 61 of the drones, primarily in its western territories and the occupied Crimean peninsula.
As tensions continue to mount, the coming weeks are likely to see further developments in the conflict, with significant implications for both military strategy and humanitarian conditions in the region.
