In the latest development in the ongoing conflict, Russian military forces have announced the capture of another village in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
The Russian defense ministry stated on Tuesday that its troops had “liberated” the village of Pivdenne, located on the outskirts of the larger town of Toretsk. Prior to the 2022 Russian invasion, Pivdenne was home to around 1,400 residents, according to Ukrainian government estimates.
This latest Russian advance comes as part of Moscow’s broader offensive in the Donetsk region, where its forces have claimed to have seized a number of small villages in recent weeks. However, many of these settlements consist of just a few streets, underscoring the incremental nature of the Kremlin’s territorial gains.
Russia has already moved to annex Donetsk, along with three other Ukrainian regions, despite not fully controlling these areas. In the case of Toretsk, a town that previously housed around 30,000 people, Russian troops have been closing in as part of their eastern assault.
Pivdenne, also known by its former name of Leninske, sits approximately 6 kilometers southeast of the strategically important town of Toretsk. The capture of this village represents another step forward for Russia’s campaign to seize complete control of the Donetsk region.
