MOSCOW: Russia claimed on Thursday that it had seized another village in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow’s troops have been making advances for days.
Moscow is rushing to advance against struggling Ukrainian troops ahead of the long-awaited arrival of the bulk of US weapons to the front for Kyiv’s outgunned forces.
Russia’s defence ministry said forces had “fully liberated the settlement of Berdychi,” AFP reported.
Ukraine said it had retreated from the village, northwest of the Russia-held town of Avdiivka, over the weekend.
Berdychi — which lies about 12 kilometres (seven miles) from Avdiivka — is the latest in a string of tiny eastern villages Moscow has claimed in recent weeks.
Russia’s Gains Since February
Russia has made some gains in the area since capturing Avdiivka in February after some of the most brutal fighting in its over two-year offensive.
Kyiv said in February it had established defensive lines in Berdychi after the fall of the nearby village of Lastochkyne.
Over the weekend, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said that Kyiv had retreated from Berdychi and two other nearby villages to protect the lives of its defenders.
He called the area the “most complicated” part of the front and conceded that Moscow had made certain tactical advances there.
