Russia captures village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, defense ministry says

Russia said Sunday its armed forces seized the village of Novoselivka Persha in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a string of frontline advances Moscow has claimed in recent weeks.

Now grinding through a third year of fighting, neither Kyiv nor Moscow has managed to swing the conflict decisively in their favor, even though Moscow’s forces have gained ground in recent months.

Russia’s defense ministry said forces had “liberated the settlement of Novoselivka Persha” that lies in the Donetsk region around 20 kilometers northwest of Avdiivka, which Russia seized in February.

Moscow has claimed to have taken a string of villages in the Donetsk region in recent weeks — many consisting of just a few streets.

Russia claimed to have annexed the Donetsk region — along with three others in eastern and southern Ukraine — in 2022, despite not fully controlling it.