Russia takes control of village of Sokil in eastern Ukraine, Interfax reports

Russia on Saturday said its forces had captured a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as Moscow continues to advance slowly across the battlefield.

The defense ministry said its troops “liberated the village of Sokil,” around 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Donetsk city, the capital of the region by the same name that Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022.

Kyiv says the fiercest fighting across the entire front line is taking place in the Donetsk region, where Russian troops are trying to eject Ukraine’s forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday repeated his demand for Ukraine to totally withdraw from the region, along with three others in the south and east of the country, if it wants peace.

Moscow’s forces have made modest advances on the battlefield this year, pushing against Kyiv’s exhausted, outmanned and outgunned troops.