The Russian military has seized two settlements in Kharkov Region and Donbass from Ukrainian forces, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Wednesday.
Troops dislodged Ukrainian forces from the village of Kislovka, around 25km east of Kupiansk, a key Ukrainian logistics hub in the region, the ministry said. The announcement comes two days after the reported capture of the village of Kotlyarovka, immediately to the south of Kislovka.
The development apparently signals an intensification of combat on the Kharkov axis, where the front line – which approximately runs along the border between Ukraine’s Kharkov Region and Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic – has remained largely static for months.
Russian troops have also liberated the village of Novokalinovo in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, the ministry has claimed. The village is located just to the east of Ocheretino, a key railway hub in the area and an important stronghold due to its elevated position. Russian forces broke through Ukraine’s defensive lines near Ocheretino in late April, and the full liberation of the town was announced by the Defense Ministry on Sunday.