Russia's army said Thursday it had captured the Ukrainian town of Ukrainsk in the eastern Donetsk region, the latest in a series of territorial gains for Moscow's advancing forces.In a daily briefing posted on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said its troops "liberated" Ukrainsk, a town that once had more than 10,000 residents before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.The town is one of the more significant conquests in recent weeks for Russia, whose troops have claimed control of a string of small villages and settlements as they push forward.Ukrainsk lies around 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of the regional capital Donetsk.Moscow's forces are seeking to gain control of the entire Donetsk region and have demanded Kyiv withdraw its troops from there.
Theyve also said that Ukraines withdrawal from the Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, is a precondition to opening peace talks.On Wednesday, Moscow used similar phrasing, saying its troops had "liberated the settlements" of Hostre and Hryhorivka in the Donetsk region.
Hostre is a small village located around 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of the city of Donetsk, whileHryhorivkalies close to the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar.